


One Taste is Not Enough - Beel/Grace - Sequel to Unworthy of Love

by EP1



Series: Grace and the Seven Deadly Sins [3]
Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Cuddling & Snuggling, Depression, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Explicit Language, F/M, Implied Demoncest, Kissing, M/M, Multi, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Sexual Abuse, Self-Harm, Sexual Violence, Spoilers, Suicidal Thoughts, Tags May Change, Teen Pregnancy, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:27:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 71
Words: 178,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23457043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EP1/pseuds/EP1
Summary: Grace had made a pact with Beel, but that won't make all her problems go away. In fact, life in the House of Lamentation is about to get a whole lot more complicated.Continuation of Unworthy of Love and follows after The Famished Sixth-Born ending.Chapters 1-10 are one complete story arc.Chapters 11-19 are one complete story arc.Tags will be updated as I go and rating may change as story progresses.Writing is a form of stress relief and self care. I will bounce between the different character timelines writing what I can and am able to at the time. No set update schedule.
Series: Grace and the Seven Deadly Sins [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683712
Comments: 443
Kudos: 273





	1. Chips in the Bed

Grace shifted in her sleep. There were broken chips in the bed and they were making her skin itch. Still half asleep, she rolled over and tried to remember the last time she’d eaten a bag of chips, let alone in bed. As she yawned and stretched her arm out, her hand landed on a warm, firm chest. Holy shit, there was a man in her bed. She had definitely not had one of them in her sheets in a very long time.

  
Now suddenly very alert, she opened her eyes. Beel was lying on his back by her side, one arm draped over his face covering his eyes. She squirmed away until her back touched the wall and looked at him. Apparently, at some point, she had stolen all the blankets, and Beel was only covered with a sheet. She hoped he was wearing something under that sheet, but if he was it was nothing more than underwear.

  
She scrambled to try to remember the events of the night before. As she slowly started to put the pieces in place, Grace realized that they weren’t in her bed. Right, Beel had taken her to his room to tend her wounds. Well, at least that explained the chips, anyway. She giggled nervously and Beel cracked an eye open to look at her.

  
“You know, it's pretty hurtful to wake the man you are in bed with by laughing.”

  
“There are chips in the bed,” Grace said.

  
“I hadn’t planned on having you sleepover or I might have changed the sheets.” He said with a smile, then he paused and thought about it. “I take that back. I ate those after you fell asleep.”

  
Grace reached for a pillow to smack him with and realized there was none within reach. She definitely remembered there being pillows. “Beel? What happened to the pillows?”

  
He cracked his neck and inclined his head toward the door. Her eyes followed the movement to see a small mountain of pillow near the door. Loose feathers littered the floor, so some had obviously not survived the night. “Let’s see there was Mammon who wanted to come in to check on his human.” Beel snorted. “The last pillow I hit him with is probably still out in the hallway. I hope it leaves a bruise.” He grinned when he said it. “I think Satan showed up about an hour after that wanted to check on your wounds. It only took one to make him drop the idea until morning. Asmo, on the other hand, wanted to crawl in with us, and it took three pillows to persuade him otherwise. Levi had poked his head in to return your DDD saw the carnage and decided that he could do it later.”

  
Grace noticed that one name was absent from that list, but didn’t mention it. She instead asked another question. “That explains the pillows. What happened to your pyjamas?”

  
“You are wearing them,” he said with a playful grin. “Is there a problem with them? Aren’t they comfortable?”

  
Grace closed his eyes and shook her head. “I can’t be wearing your only pair.”

  
He looked down, realized how little he was wearing and then blushed. “Sorry about that. I was pretty bagged and I don’t actually remember getting undressed. I should have put something on, sorry.”

  
If he didn’t remember . . .

  
“So are you actually wearing anything under that?” Grace asked in a quiet voice, her blush now matching his. She inclined her head toward the sheet. Not that she was in any place to judge, it was his room and his bed and if he wanted to sleep commando that was his right. She just wanted to be forewarned before doing anything to shift the bedding.

  
“Boxers,” he said without hesitation. “As you noticed my bed often has crumbs and there are definitely some places I don’t want crumbs to end up in.” Beel reached toward her face but stopped just sigh of contact. “You are smiling this morning. Did you sleep well?”

  
Grace nodded. She would have expected there to have been nightmares, but she had probably the best night's sleep since arriving in Devildom.

  
“And how’s the pain?’ he asked, looking a little hesitant to bring it up.

  
Grace didn’t want to answer the question and destroy this pleasant interlude. “Damn, do we have to talk about the serious stuff?”

  
“Kinda sucks, I know. But, we have run out of ammunition to guard the door with and eventually one of them will breach the defences.”

  
“I guess I should get up and be dressed for the breakfast interrogation,” Grace said with a sigh. Crap, she was going to have to walk down the hall in Beel’s PJs to get her clothes. That wasn’t going to be awkward at all.

  
Grace tossed her blankets on top of his mostly naked body and gingerly climbed out of the bed. She did her best not to make any pained noises but obviously did a crappy job of keeping it off her face.

  
“And that answers my question,” Beel said. “Can I look?”

  
“I’d rather you didn’t,” Grace said honestly.

  
“I promise no funny business,” Beel said, shoving all the covers onto the side she’s been sleeping on. He swung his legs off the bed and sat up.

  
“I wasn’t expecting any from you,” she replied.

  
“I’m not sure if I should take that as an insult or a compliment.”

  
She crossed the floor and picked up one of the pillows and threw it at him. It was worth the pain. Of course, she had unintentionally chosen one of the burst ones and it left a trail of down as it flew through the air. “Beel, I’m not insulting you or your manly urges. It was a compliment, jackass.”

  
He set the pillow down and looked at her contemplatively. “Sorry.”

  
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to snap at you.” She apologized in return. “It's just this morning is starting to get a lot too real. I don’t want to talk about yesterday. I want to lock it all away and bury it not give it new life by having to put it into words over and over again.”

  
Beel didn’t say anything for a moment. He thought about it and chose his words carefully. “Then let me see the wounds.” When she attempted to protest, he held up his hand. “Hear me out. If I look at them, clean them up and bandage them, then I can tell them how bad they but that they are treated. One less set of questions for you to answer, kay? Also, hopefully, it will deter some of them from trying to take your clothes off to check for themselves.”

  
Shit, Grace hadn’t considered that. She frowned and shook her head. Beel’s idea was a good one. It didn’t make her feel any better about showing any part of her body to him, but it was a solid idea. Reluctantly, she agreed with his plan. “Okay, you win.”

  
“I like winning,” Beel answered breaking into a big smile. “Be back in a minute.”

  
She watched him walk into the bathroom, snagging a pair of jeans on his way. Even stressed out and on the verge of a panic attack, Grace couldn’t help but admire his body. He was beautifully sculpted from head to toe, and she now kinda regretted not remembering more about sharing his bed last night.

  
Nervous, Grace paced a little while waiting for him to emerge. When the door opened, Beel came out half-dressed and his big hands cradled assorted medical supplies. Some of them looked like they could have been found on the shelf of any pharmacy on earth, but some of the vials glowed from within. “Sit down on the bed.”

  
Grace let out a breath nervously and sat down on the edge.

  
Beel set all the supplies down on the bed next to her. He looked first at the bite mark and frowned. “I’m sorry Grace, I really should have taken better care of this last night.”

  
“It’s not your fault,” Grace murmured. “It’s not like I really gave you a chance to.”

  
“It’s actually looking pretty good as bites go. You were really lucky that she didn’t hit an artery.” Beel opened a jar. “This is probably gonna sting at first but it should numb the pain.”

  
She hissed a little when he spread it over the open area, but he was right after a couple of minutes it hurt a lot less. He taped a plain white bandage over it.

  
“I’d like to have a look at your ribs if you’d let me?”

  
Grace let out a breath nervously and nodded. She chewed on her bottom lip as she unbuttoned the silky top she was wearing. She left the top three buttons done up, hoping that this would be enough to allow Beel to see most of what he needed to see. Grace’s breasts were still covered, but she still felt horribly naked.

  
Beel slowly moved the fabric aside so he could see. Grace was hyperaware of how it slid against her skin. Her breath started to quicken, and she tried not to panic. She closed her eyes so she couldn’t see the look on his face when he looked at her body.

  
“Okay, I’m gonna tell you everything I’m going to do before I do it, kay? And you say the word and I’ll stop.”

  
Grace nodded her answer, still chewing on her lip.

  
“I’m going to feel along your ribs. You don’t seem to have any problems breathing but I want to see if they may be cracked.”

  
It was hard to believe that such big strong hands could be so gentle, but gentle they were as Beel’s fingers traced along her body. His narration of the actions made her feel safe, and soon her breathing relaxed. His hands were warm and soft. Beel was responsive to her reactions and lightened the pressure if Grace gave the slightest indication of pain.

  
When his fingers just barely brushed the underside of her breast, the gasp she made wasn’t pain. Luckily, he interpreted it that way and quickly pulled his hand away. Grace could feel her face turn red. It had been so long since any man had touched her, let alone touched her with kindness. For a moment, she had started to forget that this was an examination.

  
“You okay?” Beel asked.

  
“Yeah,” Grace said. “What’s the verdict?”

  
“I think they are just bruised.”

  
Grace sighed. “That’s a relief.”

  
“Now, your back.” Beel moved further onto the bed to sit behind her. The fabric of the PJ’s stuck a little to the wound which had seeped during the night. Grace gave a little hiss, but compared to how it had felt the night before, it was so much better. “What did that?” Beel asked.

  
“High heel shoe,” Grace said.

  
“Don’t think I’ll ever look at those the same way again.” Beel used the same cream he had used on her shoulder, gently rubbing it in.

  
“Now that I know they can be used as a weapon, I’m thinking of asking Asmo to take me shopping,” Grace said with a little smile. “Course I’d need to practice walking in those really skinny tall ones.”

  
“I’m sure Asmo could help you with that too.” Beel snickered as he tapped a bandage in place.

  
“Somehow I don’t doubt it,” Grace laughed, but it died off really fast. Now that he’d patched her up, she was all out of excuses to not go down to breakfast. “I really don’t wanna go out there.”

  
“Me neither, but I’m kinda starving,” Beel admitted getting off the bed. He grabbed a shirt and pulled it over his head. “Give me two minutes to run interference then make a break for your room. Unless you want to come to breakfast in that?”

  
“I think I’ll change, thanks.”

  
Beel looked a little disappointed but gave her a smile as he went out the door.


	2. Is that an Order or a Suggestion?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace gets ready to face the day and six demons over breakfast

Beel had done a very good job of running interference, the hallway was empty when Grace dashed to her room. She shut the door behind her and lend against it for a minute. Grace closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breathes. When she opened them, she knew what she had to do.

  
While a part of her wanted to hide here today, Grace instead got dressed for class. She put a little more effort into her makeup. It took several tries as her hands were a little shaky, but she wanted her warpaint to be impeccable. There would be no hiding today, she wanted them all to see that someone took a shot and she was still standing.

  
Once Grace was as satisfied as she was going to be with her appearance, she made her way to the dining room. She could hear the normal chaos that was their voices. The bickering was actually somewhat comforting. She paused on the stairs and just listened to it for a few minutes before finishing her descent.

  
All conversation stopped when she entered the room. Six pairs of eyes all turned her way, and the weight of it almost made her flee. Beel gave her a little wink, before turning his attention back to his plate. “Morning,” she greeted, moving to take her seat, as usual, next to Mammon.

  
“And where do you think you are going, Grace?” Lucifer asked.

  
“Are classes cancelled?” Grace asked. Her voice had a slight tremor in it. She didn’t want to look in his eyes so she instead focussed on a carafe of juice and reached across the table for it. She willed her hands not to shake as she poured herself a glass.

  
“No,” Lucifer replied. “But, given yesterday’s incident, it might be wise for you to stay here until your meeting with Diavolo this afternoon.”

  
“What time am I scheduled to meet his lordship?” Grace asked, her glass now full, she busied herself with filling her plate. For how much attention she was paying the task, one might think she was diffusing a bomb.

  
“At three,” Lucifer replied.

  
“Has Lord Diavolo ordered that I not attend my classes?” Grace questioned.

  
“No,” Lucifer answered.

  
“Then I see no reason that I shouldn’t go.”

  
Someone was drinking when she said that, she didn’t see who was now choking other than she knew it wasn’t Mammon. She knew that because he started yelling immediately.

  
“You’re not going’ ta school today!” he shouted first, then his voice softened. “Don’t be dumb. You are hurt and need ta rest.”  
“As much as it pains me to agree with Mammon,” Lucifer interjected. “It is best that you stay home from the academy today.” The tone in his voice said that it was final.

  
“Is that an order or a suggestion?” Grace asked quietly.

  
“A suggestion.”

  
Grace gathered her all her willpower and looked up directly into Lucifer’s eyes. She had never done that before in the three months she had lived in Devildom. She still feared him, and the look in those powerful red eyes did nothing to ease that fear, but Grace knew in her heart that this was the right course of action. “Then I respectfully disagree and will attend my classes as normal.”  
She held her breath and waited for his response. Her heart was pounding, and she felt like she should flee and hide. Lucifer’s expression barely changed as he pondered her words. Grace would have missed the tiny arch of an eyebrow had she not been staring so intently at his features. “As you wish.”

  
Grace exhaled and turned her attention back to her plate. Honestly, while she felt hungry very little of the food looked appetizing to her today. In fact, the plate of thick-cut ham made her feel slightly nauseated, as did the tray of breakfast sausage. Fruit and waffles it would be.

  
There was a bit of awkward silence for a few minutes other than the scrape of cutlery. Grace could feel that they all had questions. It was evident in the way they snuck glances at her when they thought she wasn’t looking. All the silent speculation was making the air in the room too heavy and making it hard for her to breathe.

  
Pushing away her half-finished plate, Grace touched Mammon on the arm. “You ready to walk me to school?”

  
There was a look of surprise on his face. He obviously hadn’t expected her to ask him. Maybe he thought she blamed him for what had happened to her. Grace gave him a look full of confidence, telling him without words that she knew it wasn’t his fault.  
He recovered quickly and flashed Grace his signature cocky grin. “Fine. I suppose I’m done with this.” He pushed his plate aside too. “Let’s go.”

  
Mammon grabbed his book bag from where he had set it by the door and Grace trailed after him. She paused before leaving and called to Beel. “See you at lunch?”

  
“Sure, but you don’t usually eat lunch in the cafeteria.” He looked up at her and cocked his head.

  
“I do now,” Grace said with a confidence that was fifty-one percent fake. She then turned her attention to Mammon. “You got a notebook and a pen I can borrow? I lost my bag somewhere.”

  
“I gotcha covered. Actually, the Great Mammon has your stuff. We can grab it on our way out.”

  
Mammon and Grace left, and five sets of very curious watched.


	3. Definitely Worth Waiting For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beel needs to have a little chat with his eldest brother.

Beel couldn’t help but watch her walk away with a smile. He’d been very worried when he’d left her in his room. Enough that he had cautioned his siblings to take it easy on her this morning. They had all been curious and in their place, he would have been too, but he did his best to reassure them. He had explained the exact nature of her wounds, and asked them to leave her be. Grace would talk when she was ready.

  
He didn’t know what he had been expecting, but seeing her walk head held high into breakfast, ready to face the day was definitely not it. But no matter how impressive her display, Beel was still worried. He’d heard the tremor in her voice when she talked to Lucifer, and the unsteadiness of her hands when she got her food. Beel frowned when she saw how much food was left on her plate. He would have to make sure she got enough to eat at lunch.

  
Lucifer was the first to speak after they left. “Well, that was … unexpected.”

  
“Not entirely,” Satan said. “At least, not after what we learned yesterday. There is much more to her than we suspected, including a backbone.

  
“Yeah, that was fucking hot,” Asmo said. Beel shot him a dirty look. “I stand by it. You can’t tell me you don’t agree.” Of course Beel agreed, but he didn’t want to hear Asmo say it.

  
“Since she is insisting on going through with this foolishness,” Lucifer said drawing their attention to the head of the table. “Who is familiar with her schedule for the day? And does she have an ally in each classroom?”

  
Beel only half-listened as his sibling compared notes. He knew this was a pointless exercise unless Grace actually started to trust them. Everything that Grace had already experienced had happened under their so-called watchful eyes.

  
When Grace’s day had been sorted to Lucifer’s liking, he rose to leave the table. Beel followed and approached him in the hall, “Do you have a minute?”

  
“I do, but if you are not careful you will be late for class,” Lucifer replied.

  
“Then I will keep this brief. I will be attending Grace’s meeting with Lord Diavolo this afternoon.” Beel said firmly.

  
Lucifer looked irritated. “And if I deny your request?”

  
“It’s not a request. It’s a heads up.” Beel said. “She is not okay, Lucifer. Brilliant performance this morning aside, she’s not. Grace needs to have someone in that room that she knows will have her back.”

  
“And you think I don’t?” Lucifer asked, a dangerous tone entering his voice.

  
“It doesn’t matter what I think. What matters is what she thinks and she thinks that Diavolo is going to punish her and that you will obey him no matter what.” Lucifer’s gaze weighed heavily on him. Beel wished he could be doing anything other than having this conversation. Eating another round of breakfast, or even better still in bed before Grace woke up.

  
“And you? Would you not obey our lord?” Lucifer questioned.

  
“I would,” Beel acknowledged, then continued with a twinkle in his eye. “Unless my Mistress commanded me otherwise.”

  
Beel was glad he waited to tell Lucifer in person. The look on his face was indeed priceless. To others, it would look as though his expression was only mildly interested. But they had been siblings for centuries and Beel could read the full range of emotions on display on Lucifer's face as clear as day.

  
Lucifer nodded his head in acknowledgement. “Then we will see you at three at Lord Diabolo’s office. Ensure that your Mistress-“ he put a little extra emphasis on the word, “Isn’t late.”

  
Beel nodded back, “She won’t be.”

  
He made sure to hide his grin until he was out of the house and well on his way to the academy.


	4. Does that mean you're head cheerleader now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace has survived until lunch time and spends the lunch hour with four of the avatars.

Beel was sitting impatiently at his table watching the entrance to the cafeteria. Every now and then, someone made a move to join him, but one look at his face they scattered. He felt a little bad for his teammates, they just wanted to visit and talk about the game he’s missed last night, but Beel had too much on his mind for that right now.

If only he had been able to text her, he wouldn’t be feeling so jittery. He’d started countless texts absentmindedly before he realized that she had no DDD right now. Levi had given it to Lucifer, as evidence for this afternoon’s meeting. Beel worried for her and hoped she was doing okay, but he doubted she was.

He doubted that she was okay because Beel knew he wasn’t okay. The rumour mill was churning out the gossip at an impressive pace and it sickened him. So much of it painted Grace in a bad light. Beel had little tolerance for that bullshit, and he proved it to the first demon that had the balls to claim that ‘the human deserved it’.

Beel had grabbed that one by the throat and slammed his body against the hallway hard enough to crack the stone. Beel had been certain that it wasn’t just the stone that had made a sickening crunching noise. Beel was familiar with the sounds of cracking bones. He had watched the body limply slide down the wall with satisfaction and walked away without saying anything. This was one of the cases that Beel felt that actions really did speak louder than words.

A chair scraped against the floor, and he glanced away from the doorway to see who hadn’t gotten the message that this table was taken. It was Asmo, who ignored the glare his sibling shot him and sat down.

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” Beel grumbled in a low gruff voice, turning his eyes back to the door. “Isn’t this when your fan club meets?

“If they can’t survive a day without my presence, then they wouldn’t have the fortitude to actually survive being with me,” Asmo replied. “Quit fussing, Beel. Mammon has been taking her directly from classroom to classroom and Levi was in her last class. If you had been paying attention at breakfast you would have known that.”

“Why are you here?” Beel asked, absentmindedly picking up a couple french fries and eating them.

“Because you are not the only one pissed off, or worried,” Asmo said with uncharacteristic seriousness. “And unlike you, I haven’t had a chance to really see her or talk to her. I’d like to reassure myself that Grace is alright.” Asmo paused and then admitted. “And maybe, just maybe I wanted to check in on my little brother. A birdie told me that you sent Erakus to the infirmary this morning.”

Beel shrugged and made no comment. That action was justified and required no explanation. Beel looked down at the food still before him He’s made sure that he’d eaten his half dozen burgers first, so they wouldn’t be at the table when she got here. He didn’t think she’d object to the avian strips, they were white meat, after all, but maybe he should eat them next and leave the french fries for last.

His train of thought was interrupted, as she finally made her appearance. Other than a weariness around her eyes, Grace seemed to be holding up better than he hoped. The conversations in the cafeteria dwindled and it was not only Beel's eyes that watched her. Grace just took a deep breath and straightened herself. She walked into the cafeteria like she was a regal queen and this shit was beneath her. Both Levi and Mammon were only a step behind her.

Beel held his breath when their eyes met across the room. She gave him a relieved smile and made a beeline in his direction. She pulled out the chair on his other side and sat down. “Hey guys!” Grace greeted, in a voice that was a little over cheerful. Mammon sat next to her, and Levi put his bag on a seat but then went to the counter to get food.

As soon as Grace was settled in her chair, Beel started sliding plates and bowls in front of her. There was a pasta salad, fresh-cut fruit and a milkshake. “Eat first, talk later.” He stated.

“I think what he meant to say was hello,” Asmo laughed. “And how had your day been so far?”

Grace opened her mouth to answer him, but saw the pointed look from Beel and ate a piece of fruit first. “I forgot what it was like having everyone looking at me all time. It’s exhausting.”

“It’s the price we pay for being absolutely awe-inspiring,” Asmo said with a smile.

Grace ate fork full of the salad, then fake whispered to Beel. “When did Asmo start using the royal we?”

Asmo laughed, and Mammon looked confused. “The royal what?”

Beel smiled while Asmodeus explained the concept of the royal plural to Mammon. Grace quietly ate her food, her eyes bouncing back and forth between them.

“That’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard,” Mammon said shaking his head.

Levi snorted, successfully having managed the lunch line, he joining them at the table. “Then you must be deaf. Cause you say stupid shit all the time.”

Asmo laughed with delight and clapped his hands. “This explains everything! We truly should have his hearing tested! That explains why he’s so slow, and never learns no matter how many times we tell him.”

Grace set down her milkshake after taking a sip. “And why Lucifer is always yelling his name-“ she teased, but even as she said it, Grace lightly touched Mammon’s arm almost in apology of the jest.

This continued in the same vein for a while, while Mammon just got more and more flustered. Beel was content just to watch. There was a natural ebb and flow to the banter, and Grace had a natural smile to her face.

“Oi! Whatcha staring at?!” Mammon shouted at someone behind Beel. He turned to see who it was, and it was a small aquatic demon, with pale mint coloured skin. Beel wasn’t familiar with him, but he definitely didn’t seem to be a threat.

“Umm … I just wanted to talk to Grace, but it seems you are all very busy,” The little demon said in a quiet voice as his gills fluttered nervously. “I’ll just go.”

“Hey, Darwin,” Levi greeted him. “You manage to beat the Butterfly King, yet?”

“No. My current build is too weak against poison,” Darwin replied. He stepped a little closer to the table but still was keeping a wary eye on Mammon.

Levi chatted with him for a couple of minutes, it must have been about that TSL game, because Beel understood not a single word of what passed between them. Grace’s eyes brightened and she seemed to be able to follow the conversation, but she didn’t join in.

Once Darwin was more relaxed, Grace asked him. “So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

He blushed and looked embarrassed, having gotten sidetracked from his mission. “Well…” he suddenly was nervous again. “Thank you, for umm making sure she didn’t poison us all. That was really… brave of you.” The poor kid almost seemed to shrink under the full attention of everyone at the table. “I was kinda … well … do you think that maybe you…”

“Well, spit it out!” Mammon prompted. “She ain’t got all day.”

“I was wondering is maybe … that is … could you maybe tutor me in potions stuff? If you have the time?”

Grace looked a little shocked. Beel was a little shocked, but that was because he thought the guy was trying to ask her out.

“Sure, I guess,” she answered. “But why me? I only get average grades.”

“Cause you’re nice and well … less scary than well everyone else.” Darwin said with another blush.

Asmo opened his mouth, probably to make some lewd observation and Beel elbowed him. He followed it up with a look that screamed ‘don’t fuck with this’, just in case Asmo hadn’t gotten the point.

“So I’m a little scary?” Grace asked.

“Well … yeah,” Darwin said as if it was completely obvious. “You beat Xantara. The queen bitch, herself. Hey, does that mean you are head cheerleader now?”

“Fuck, I hope not,” Grace replied without thinking. Then she looked around the table with concern. “Umm…guys is that actually a thing?”

“I don’t know, but it would be so cool if it was,” Levi said, his eyes bright with excitement. “It would be just like that anime I watched. You know the one.” Everyone at the table stared blankly at him. “I accidentally killed the Sultan and inherited his harem? None of you have watched it? Not even you Darwin?” Levi shook his head in disappointment. “Anyway, maybe if Grace had actually killed Xantara she’d be the new head cheerleader, but since the bitch lives… I think we’d have to ask Satan, he would probably know.”

Asmo clapped his hand together excitedly. “I vote yes! Grace would have to go to all the parties, and I’d get to see you wear the uniform. Can we make this happen? I can totally go smother her right now if that makes this happen.”

“Asmo! That’s not even a little bit funny!” Grace snapped at him. Then she looked at Beel for rescue.

Beel gave her a smile and a wink. “I could get on board with this idea. You’d have no excuse not to come to my games.”

She briefly glanced to Mammon, her expression hopeful, only to be disappointed when he said. “Screw the cheerleader title. What’s important is would Grace inherit her shit? Xantara had some nice bling, and I-“ Grace arched her eyebrow. “We could make a pretty penny selling it off.”

Grace glared at each and every one of them in turn. “I repeat. Not. Fucking. Funny.”

Beel was the first to give her a repentant look, but the others soon followed suit.

Darwin watched this with an expression of awe. “Okay, maybe more than a little scary.”

The bell rang, cutting the conversation short. Beel cleared the trays from the tables, while Grace made sure Darwin had her DDD number for when she got it back.

“Hey, I’ll walk you to class,” Beel said. Mammon opened his mouth to argue, but Beel stared him down.

“Fine, whatever.” Mammon shrugged. “Not like I didn’t have something better to do anyway.”

Beel picked up Grace’s bag and carried it for her. She looked at him with a little bit of confusion. “Consider it my punishment for taking part in the joke.”

“You think you are gonna get off that easy? A little light lifting?” Grace’s tone had started off teasing but he could feel the serious undertone.

“Asmo was the one that actually threatened to kill her,” Beel said with a little smile. “I just wanted to reap the benefits.” Grace gave him a tired look. “I’m sorry, you are right. It wasn’t funny.”

“Except it wasn’t really a joke, was it?” Grace stopped in the hall and looked out a window. “Some of you really would go finish her off.”

“You’re wrong.” Beel stopped behind her and touched her shoulder. What he really wanted to do was give Grace a hug. Wrap his arms around her and make the sad, tired look in her eyes disappear. However, Beel knew how she felt about being touched at school, so he settled for just touching her shoulder so she could feel that she wasn’t alone. “Not some of us. All of us,” he corrected. “If Lucifer had not made it clear that we were to abide by Lord Diabolo’s judgement in this, she would probably already be dead. You were given to us to protect and not a single one of us takes what happened to you lightly.”

He wished she could have seen how hard they all looked last night. Maybe if she could have seen the worry and desperation in their eyes, she would doubt them all less. Maybe even trust them more. His reflection in the window had a slightly smug smile. At least Grace trusted him.

“Trust in Lord Diabolo’s judgement.” She said the words sadly.

Beel could hear all the subtext packed in that sentence and the fear that she wasn’t going to give voice to here. He watched her reflection close its eyes, so she wouldn’t cry. He had tried to be good, but he couldn’t help it. Beel gave in to the temptation and wrapped his arms around her. He did it loosely at first, giving her time to protest, but when she didn’t he held her a little tighter. He rested his head on top of hers. “I won’t tell you not to be scared. He’s the prince of Devildom for a reason, but I’ve got your back. You didn’t do anything wrong. You just defended yourself and if he can’t see that he doesn’t deserve to rule this place.” He held her for as long as she would let him, which was much longer than he had hoped.

“I’m going to be late,” Grace finally said.

Beel took that as his cue to let her go and escort her through the nearly empty halls to her class.


	5. Unexpected Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace finished her last class of the day and its time to face the dreaded meeting. Even with Beel by her side it feels like she is walking to her execution.

Grace was having no luck concentrating on her last class of the day. Her eyes were glazed over and she was just making meaningless squiggles in her notebook. It was almost time. She set her pen down and looked at the clock on the wall. Grace felt like she was watching the countdown on her execution.

She looked out the window for a while, tapped her fingers on the desk and then just for a little variety kicked her for against the leg of the desk. Grace was trying to keep calm, but the closer it got to the top of the hour, the heavier the weight on her chest grew. By the end of the class, all she could do was keep her eyes closed and focus on breathing.

The bell sounded and Grace gathered her belongings and tucked them into her bag. While she really wanted this afternoon to be over with, Grace still found it hard not to drag her heels a little. Even if this went well, she was still going to have to relive yesterday in front of an audience.

Beel was waiting for her in the hallway. Seeing him made the weight on her chest lighten a little. “Hey,” she greeted softly with a smile. “Here to make sure I don’t run for it?”

“No, here to carry your bag if you decide to,” Beel answered.

“Don’t tempt me,” Grace said. “I really don’t want to do this.”

“I know.” Beel reached out and offered her his hand.

Grace shook her head. “Not right now, I have to put my game face on.”

Beel held the hand out for a few more seconds, then let it drop to his side.

They started walking in silence, heading up to Diavolo’s office. “Can I make a suggestion?” he asked hesitantly as they climbed the stairs to the upper floor. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” Grace asked.

“Don’t hide it. Yell if you are angry and cry when you feel pain.” Beel looked down at her. “Make Diavolo feel what you felt. He wants to continue this program then make him understand the costs.”

“I don’t think I can do that,” Grace replied quietly.

“Why?”

Grace didn’t immediately answer him. Why? What did she have to lose? If she already feared the worst outcome, then yelling at the Prince of Devildom wasn’t going to change it? Was it because she didn’t want to feel even more vulnerable? That she didn’t want to appear out of control? Maybe Grace just didn’t want to appear broken? She nodded to herself. All of them could be true, but the last most of all. If bringing her here was all an elaborate torment, Grace didn’t want them to see that they won. That they had broken her.

Then there was a little voice in the back of her head. An honest one. The one that reminded Grace that she cared what Beel thought of her. That she even cared about what Lucifer thought of her. If she had even been the tiniest part of their family in these last three months, she wanted them to be proud of her. Even if their emotions turned out to be fake, Grace had to admit that she cared for each of them in her own way. Nope, Grace was going to do her best. She raised her chin stubbornly. “I’ll think about it.”

“It’s your call, Grace. I’ll back your play whatever it is.” Beel stopped in front of the door.

“Ready or not, here I come,” Grace said with a sigh.

Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Beel reach for her. His hand stopped in mid-air and instead moved to open the door.

The exterior waiting room was full of people, far more than she expected to see here. There was Xantara, of course, that was going to be a given. Grace clenched her jaw. She hadn’t been prepared for what it would feel like to see her tormentor looking so hale and hearty. For someone who was in the infirmary the night before, she looked ready to head to cheerleading practice after this ended.

Lucifer had also been a given. He looked to be both impatient and in a foul mood which was not a good combination. Once Grace thought about it, Solomon’s presence made a certain amount of sense. Maybe Diavolo wanted him as a witness to the potions class incident? Or he could just want the opinion of the only other human student.

However, both Satan and Ari were here. Ari was a demon that looked to have some avian heritage with plush feathers that mimicked hair that framed her face, a sharp nose and a very delicate figure. Grace hadn’t told anyone that Ari had helped Xantara, so she didn’t know why the demoness was here. Or for that matter, why she was holding an arm protectively against her body. Though the way she kept glancing fearfully at Satan, was likely a pretty big clue. Satan for his part looked calm and pleasant, with on the tiniest hint of an evil twinkle in his eyes.

Upon seeing Grace enter, both Satan and Lucifer made a beeline toward her. She took an involuntary step back, almost stepping on Beel’s feet.

“Grace,” Satan greeted, looking eerily chipper. “I’m glad that you are here. Might you confirm something for me? Do you know if Ari was the one to have glamoured the homunculi?”

Surprised by his blunt question that came with no preamble, it took Grace a moment to answer. “According to Xantara, yes."

“I suspected as much. There was no way Xantara could have done that on her own, and it was my opinion that Ari was the only one of her inner circle capable of it.” Satan looked at Lucifer with a smug look on.

“Literally twisting her arm to bring her to this meeting was your solution?” Lucifer asked.

“She needs to be judged for her part in this, not as an accessory but as an actual coconspirator,” Satan said easily. “She can go to the infirmary after this meeting.”

“And if you were wrong?” Lucifer asked.

“I wasn’t,” Satan smirked at him.

While the two of them had a mini stare down, Grace shuffled her feet nervously. She hoped she wasn’t about to get caught in the crossfire.

Beel tapped Grace on the shoulder. She glanced up at him and he winked at her. Leaning down he whispered in her ear. “Hey, it looks like they might be down two cheerleaders. Since Satan’s here should we get him to weigh in on the whole head cheerleader issue?”

Grace glared at him. “Shhh!”

Beel’s eyes twinkled with repressed laughter and Grace couldn’t help but smile. His objective completed, Beel guided her away from both Lucifer and Satan. Solomon smiled in her direction, but Barbatos opened the inner office door interrupting everything. Though he had everyone’s immediate attention, he still politely cleared his throat before speaking.

“Lord Diavolo is ready to see-“ he looked around the room noting extra bodies that were not summoned. He started again. “Only those who were called upon should be attending this meeting.”

“Ari needs to be added to the list as a coconspirator,” Satan stated.

Barbatos looked at the demoness. “Is this true?”

Ari looked back at Satan. It seemed to Grace as though Ari realized that she may fair better with Lord Diavolo than Satan, so she nodded her agreement.

Satan smiled. “Then my work here is done.” He looked at Grace and quite deliberately said. ‘I will see you at home later then.” There was nothing but confidence in his voice, as though this big meeting with Lord Diavolo was nothing more important than a study date, and that there was no reason she wouldn’t be home on time. Then he excused himself from the room, looking very pleased with himself.

Beel opened his mouth to address Barbatos, but the butler held up his hand. “Lord Diavolo has already been made aware of your circumstances, Beel and you are expected.”

Everyone assembled entered into the interior office, and Grace froze momentarily. Beel squeezed her shoulder one more time as a reminder that he was there and that he had confidence in her. They were the last two to enter the room.


	6. Premeditation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xantara and Grace make their cases for the Prince of Devildom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: some of the contents of Grace's phone get read aloud and there is a rape threat.

Grace walked into Diavolo’s office. While it was large, it seemed small with all the assembled people and demons. The was a massive desk, a beautiful piece made of carved dark wood. It was big enough that it made Diavolo seem average in comparison, and that took some doing because he was as large tall as Lucifer and Beel, and more muscled than the latter. The Lord of Devildom had on a friendly smile, but it did nothing to put her at ease.

Two chairs were set in front of his desk, and they looked small in comparison to the desk. Grace was sure that this was not an accident. Those brought before the Demon Prince were meant to feel small. As friendly and calm as Diavolo seemed, he was still the ruler of the realm in all but the official title. He would know and understand the value of details.

“My Lord,” she greeted, bowing her head and lowering her eyes. Grace claimed the empty chair and both Lucifer and Beel stood behind her, Lucifer at her left shoulder and Beel at her right.

Xantara looked over at this, narrowed her eyes angrily. “My Lord,” she protested softly. Her voice was rough, and it seemed to take great effort for her to speak. Grace couldn’t help feel a sense of satisfaction that Xantara was not as unaffected as she seemed. She bit the interior of her bottom lip to stop from smiling. “I understand why Solomon is here, and why Ari is here. I don’t understand why Beel and Lucifer are both present.” She nodded to Lucifer. “A scuffle between two classmates would usually be beneath you.”

“Lucifer is here not in his capacity as a member of the council. He is here as the head of her dormitory, and her actions reflect upon him.” Diavolo explained. “However, Beel is here as Grace is his mistress.” His lip curled up as he said this, though his tone remained unchanged. It was obvious Diavolo enjoyed the look of panic on Xantara’s face.

Grace really wanted to turn her head to look at Beel and see the expression on his face, because when Xantara looked at him, she paled. It was then that Grace noticed the red colour that was in the deepest crevices of her scale pattern. That was new, and Grace wondered if her toxin had something to do with.

Diavolo looked at all assembled, and then stated, “Ladies, shall we begin? Normally I would lock both of you away for a few months, but as this matter involves an exchange student I need to understand why this happened.”

Xantara smiled. Her body language changed into something very different from what other students saw. Xantara’s head and eyes maintained a submissive posture, but she still presented herself in a very sensually tempting way. She tilted her head in a way that just barely exposed her throat. Xantara parted her lips, just slightly, to make sure to emphasize how plump and kissable. She shifted her ponytail and twirled it around her finger. “My Lord, I humbly beg your forgiveness. As Solomon can testify to, I was very humiliated by Grace in Potions class. Between how horrified I was that I nearly injured my classmates, and the fact that it was the human that stopped me, well I’m afraid that my temper got the better of me. I honestly barely remember the fight at all I was so fuelled by rage.” She hung her head a little lower. “I’ve never had any fights or problems with Grace before this.” She turned her eyes over to Grace. “I’m so sorry this happened! Is there any way you can forgive me?” Xantara’s eyes shifted as she said the words.

Was this bitch fucking serious? Was Xantara actually trying to compel her in front of all these witnesses? Grace tightened her grip on the arms of the chair. There was no change in Diavolo’s expression it was still friendly verging on both gentle and kind. If Grace thought God might actually hear her in Devildom, she would have prayed. Glancing at Solomon, she saw him frown and roll his eyes. Okay, she wasn’t the only one who thought this load of shit was intolerable.

“Would an apology be sufficient for you, Grace?” Diavolo asked. She couldn’t tell how he wanted this to end. If only she could read his motives and know what he wanted of her.

Grace answered with one word. Just one, it was clear, filled with determination and not one any of them expected. “Premeditation.”

“Excuse me, Grace?” Diavolo asked turning his eyes on her. “Would you like to elaborate?”

Grace took a deep breath and did her best to calmly convey what she wanted. “If she were in a rage as she claimed, she would not have had the foresight to ask Ari to glamour the homunculi. If she were truly in a rage, she would not have been able to wait until more than an hour after the incident to attack me. She would have done it there and then. If things happened as she claimed, she wouldn’t have toyed with me-“ In that instant, Grace remembered crawling away from her, and how Xantara literally kicked her while she was down. Grace drew in a shuddering breath. “Since she claims to have almost no memory of the fight, perhaps I should fill in some blanks, if I may?”

Diavolo nodded.

Grace closed her eyes and slowly began to describe the fight from her perspective. Starting from the minute she had hidden in the locker room and ending with the final words she spoke to Xantara before Grace’s own memories went blank. Though she tried to keep the emotion from her voice and stick to the facts, tears streamed down her face. Grace didn’t even notice that one of her hands had cracked the armrest of the chair.

At several points, Xantara attempted to interrupt Grace but Diavolo help up a hand, and that act alone was enough to silence the demoness even without magic. When Grace fell silent for longer than a few moments, Diavolo asked softly. “Is that all?”

“Beel examined my injuries and can confirm at least that part of my version, but I will submit myself to a healer if necessary.” Grace’s voice was sore and barely louder than a whisper.

Diavolo nodded again and turned to look at Xantara. She was flustered and any attempt at innocence had been tossed aside. This was the Xantara most people saw. Arrogant, proud and powerful. Unfortunately for her, almost everyone in this room could crush her without breaking a sweat.

“I’ve been training for centuries to torment humans, and I lost to temptation,” Xantara explained. “I can’t be the only one who wanted to have a bite of the shiny human soul that’s been walking the halls for weeks.”

“You were the first to defy me and do it,” Diavolo said in a low voice. His smile was still pleasant but his eyes were not.

“My lord!” There was no pretence in her deference this time. Xantara hit her knees and bowed as low as she could before him. “It was the first offence, please be lenient with me!”

“But it's not really your first offence, is it?” Lucifer asked.

“I never laid a hand on her until yesterday, I swear!” Xantara protested, never raising her head.

Lucifer looked at Lord Diavolo. “As we all know psychological torture is often far more effective than physical punishment. It seems that this one-“ Lucifer didn’t seem to even want to utter her name. “Was spearheading a campaign of mental torture against Grace.

Oh no. Grace wasn’t sure that she was ready to open another wound and poke it until it bled. She was still shaking from reliving yesterday’s attack. She looked up at Lucifer with pleading eyes, begging him not to do this. Not here. Not now. Grace wasn’t sure she could handle it. While there was sympathy in his eyes, Grace could see that he would not be deterred from his chosen course.

“I have evidence to support that claim.” Lucifer approached the desk and brought out Grace’s DDD. It looked a little worse for wear compared to when she last saw it. “If you scroll through the message logs you will seeing there is sustained and continued harassment.”

Diavolo took the DDD. The silence in the room grew even more awkward, as the Devil Prince read through the messages.

Grace reached a hand back for Beel. He intertwined his fingers with hers very softly. It always surprised her how gentle he could be with his size and strength.

“While I do see a disturbing pattern of sustained abuse, I see no actual proof here that Xantara had anything to do with it,” Diavolo announced setting down the phone. “All the messages come from unknown numbers and there are no names used.”

Xantara let out the breath she had been holding, but it may have been premature if the look on Lucifer’s face was any indication. Lucifer held his hand out for the DDD. “May I clarify?” he asked of Lord Diavolo. The Prince handed the phone back, and Lucifer scrolled to a specific set of messages. “Of course, any demon attending RAD would be smart enough to cover their tracks. We do run a superior institution, after all, however this message here, and the attached picture can be linked to her.”

Lucifer cleared his throat and Grace realized that he was going to read it aloud. She let go of Beel’s hand and covered her face with her hands. It was hard enough to read those things, to see those things, but to hear them out loud? In front of all these people? Grace squeezed her eyes shut tightly, and went back to biting her lip to keep silent.

“What do you think of my boyfriend’s massive cock bitch?” Lucifer quoted. He kept his tone calm as though he was reading a dry passage from history tome. “Don’t grow them like that on Earth, do they? Well if you don’t keep to your place, you’re gonna get to feel it. He will destroy every one of your holes and leave you a bleeding mess.” He handed the DDD back to Diavolo. “The attached picture is of Xantara’s boyfriend’s genitalia.”

“Lucifer, I was unaware that you had such intimate knowledge of our students’ anatomy,” Diavolo replied.

“He doesn’t,” Beel said, the rage in his voice evident. “However, the asshole is on my team and I shower with him. I can confirm that dick belongs to her man but if you need an expert opinion we could call Asmodeus.”

“That won’t be necessary, I trust your word, Beel.” Diavolo sighed, and Grace could hear him set the DDD down again. Diavolo was silent for a moment. “I will not be making my final decision on this matter at this moment. It seems there are more elements at play than I realized. Solomon, thank you for being available for additional testimony if it had been needed, you are dismissed. Xantara and Ari, you are dismissed as well. I will either summon you again when needed or send my judgement via Lucifer. Begone.”

Grace wiped her eyes and lowered her hands. She took a breath and opened her eyes, lifting her gaze to meet Lord Diavolo’s. Grace expected to be dismissed as well. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

“Well, it seems you and I have much to discuss, Grace.”


	7. Are You Done?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lord Diavolo seeks to understand how this has happened. He might not like the answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning : Mention of Suicide

Beel had been doing his very very best to keep his temper. He had promised to back Grace’s play. So he didn’t beat the shit out of Xantara when she tried to look innocent and remorseful. He hadn’t reached to touch Grace until she reached for him first. It had taken all his will power not to stop Lucifer from reading that text out loud. Couldn’t he see Grace was shaking?

He had been relieved when Lord Diavolo started dismissing people. Beel had started to reach out for Grace’s shoulder but stopped when the Prince ordered her to stay. Beel could not stay silent anymore. “Excuse me?” The tone was not at all respectful and it earned him a glare from Lucifer. Beel ignored it and pressed on regardless. “What more could you possibly need to hear? To see? Are you going to rip off her bandages while you are at it?!”

“Beel!” Lucifer chastised. “Remember who it is you are speaking to!”

“My Lord,” Beel added belatedly, his tone no less irreverent.

Diavolo did not address Beel, he turned his eyes to the seated human. “Grace, you don’t need to talk anymore about what has happened. What I need you to help me understand is the how it happened.”

Beel saw Grace nervously look away from Lord Diavolo down at her hands. She picked at a splinter in her left hand. “I don’t want to answer that question.”

“And why is that?” he asked softly.

“Because you won’t like the answer, and it may anger you,” she replied.

“I’m not giving you a choice. You will answer me. How did this situation progress to this point when I had left you in the care of my six most trusted lieutenants?”

Grace continued to pick at her hand. Her trembling fingers were unable to grip the splinter and the tips of her nails were just scratching her palm making it bleed.

“You will answer me!” Lord Diavolo said louder, in a more commanding tone.

“The mistake is yours and it was made on the first day.” Grace raised her eyes. “You assumed I would trust you. Not just an unknown man, but an unknown demon. You took me from my home without warning, without consent, and then assumed that I would trust you.”

“Grace-“ Lord Diavolo said her name, but Grace interrupted him.

“Shut up. You wanted to hear. Now listen.” Her voice gained volume as she spoke. Some might have mistaken it for confidence, but Beel was sure that it was just the last dregs of fear and frustration driving her now. “I didn’t trust you, so why would I trust the six random men you decided I should live with. At least three of whom threatened to eat me on the first day, by the way. The primary one who was supposed to take care of me constantly reminding me what a burden I am. And now you wonder why I did my best to find ways to protect myself? Ways that didn’t involve the demons who were only caring for me on your orders?”

“Grace.” The Demon Prince said her name softly, almost apologetically.

“This whole situation was screwed up from the start. You told me two things: survive and write a report. But, you didn’t clearly define the rules, so no one knew how to play this game. Not me and certainly not the demons. Obviously, the avatars of sin had no clue what to do with the human you threw in their midst. The other demons, well you just gave them a challenge. Who wouldn’t want to say they outwitted, outsmarted some of the most powers demons in Devildom? Who wouldn’t want to take the fruit from the tree they are guarding?”

“Grace!” Lord Diavolo’s voice was louder, more commanding.

She rose from the chair. “I’m not fucking done.”

Barbatos started to move from his place by the door and Beel placed himself in the butler’s path. “She gets to have her say,” he growled over his shoulder to Lord Diavolo. After all of this, that was the very least she deserved, because Beel knew damn well she’d never get an apology. The Demon Prince nodded his head and Barbatos stopped advancing.

“Did you have any idea what putting me in the House of Lamentation would do? What message that sent the women? A lowly fucking human living with, as you said, your six most trusted lieutenants? Devildom's most eligible and handsome bachelors. They hated me. They hated me for something I had no power over. They hated me for being an obstacle in their way. I have been insulted, threatened, almost poisoned, harassed and as of yesterday beaten within an inch of my life. If I was one tiny bit less resourceful or stubborn, this precious program of yours would have ended weeks ago. Either at their hands or my own.”

That last sentence horrified Beel. She hid so much, but he had never even thought that last bit would have been a possibility. The thought of someone else hurting her had caused him pain and rage. The thought of her hurting herself was worse so much worse. He stepped away from Barbatos, wanting to close the gap between himself and his mistress.

Grace was crying again, but they were angry tears. “So, you want to know how this program failed. One, pick someone who actually wants to be here. Two, maybe having a fucking rule book. Oh, and three, just possibly use some common sense, if you don’t have any, you are a prince find an advisor who has some.”

“Are you done?” Lord Diavolo asked. His voice was quiet once more, and his eyes unreadable at least to Beel. Lucifer’s expression was torn between horror that Grace had spoken so to their liege and pride that she was willing to do so.

“I think so,” Grave said quietly.

“Are you quite sure? You managed to neglect insulting my parentage or insinuating that I have sex with animals or corpses.”

“I didn’t think the latter was an insult here,” Grace said quietly. The storm of her emotions had passed and she lowered her head.

“You will look at me.” Lord Diavolo commanded.

Grace raised her head and met his eyes.

“There will be no physical punishment for the steps you have taken to defend yourself or the effect those defences had on your attacker. However, there will be consequences to both your insolence and their disobedience. When I have chosen what those will be, I will either summon you or inform you through Lucifer.”

Grace gulped and answered promptly, “Yes, my lord.”

“Then you and Beel are dismissed. Lucifer, you will stay. I would have both you and Barbatos counsel me at this time.”

Grace turned away from Diavolo took the last two steps she needed to reach Beel. The look on her face was clearly one of ‘oh shit, what the hell did I just do’. Beel reached out a hand to her and she took it. He could feel it trembling.

“And Grace?”

Both Beel and Grace stopped in their tracks. “Since it seems that at least one of my Lords has finally earned this trust you speak of, I highly recommend that you actually use him. As the protection, I intended, at least. Any other uses are entirely up to you.”

Beel looked down at Grace feeling a blush creep across his cheeks and saw her skin grow rosy as well.

“That is all.”


	8. Pizza Delivery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the exhausting meeting with Lord Diavolo, Grace chooses to eat in her room.

Grace and Beel descended the stairs back to the main floor of the RAD building. The last class of the day was just letting out making the hallway crowded with students. Grace just tucked in close to Beel and let him forge a path through the chaos. Her hand never let go of his.

Neither of them said a word until they were off academy grounds. “So…no dungeon, time on the rack, or execution, so I guess that’s a win?” Grace said with a forced smile. The meeting still left her with a deep-seated sense of dread, but there was a sense of peace as well. As ill-advised as it might have seemed, putting those thoughts and feelings into words and hurling them toward Lord Diavolo was definitely cathartic.

Beel nodded but said nothing in reply. Grace realized that he hadn’t said a single word since they left the meeting. She looked up at him, unnerved by his quiet. It felt different than his normal silence. While she wants to ask but was afraid, both of what he might say and that she wouldn’t have the emotional energy to handle it. Her only consolation was the way his hand never left hers.

That silence remained unbroken for the entire walk back to the House of Lamentation. As soon as they opened the front door, Grace was able to smell food. She took a deep breath, and she could almost taste the flavours in the air. There was pizza, wings and definitely a whole lot of deep-fried goodies.

Beel tugged her toward the dining room, and Grace followed him, then just stopped in her tracks. As hungry as she was, Grace knew that if she went through that door, it would be round after round of well-meaning questions. She shook her head and let go of Beel’s hand. Grace was tired of questions, and she was too exhausted to pretend that she was okay.

Beel stopped in his tracks and gave her a questioning look.

“I’m just going to head up to my room. I’m not hungry.”

His eyes called bullshit on that.

“Okay, I’m hungry but I seriously cannot handle any more questions right now. Their hearts are probably in the right place, but I can’t do it. Not right now. So I’m heading up to my room.” Grace said firmly. This matter was not up for negotiation.

Beel reluctantly nodded. “If you are sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

Beel sighed, his disapproval evident. “I’ll bring you up a plate.” His tone was just as firm as hers had been, and his statement was just as non-negotiable.

“You win,” Grace said with a smile.

He grinned. “Told ya, I like winning.”

Grace turned at slowly walked up the steps toward her room and she didn’t need to look back to know he watched her until she was out of sight.

A quick hot shower felt great but left Grace the unfortunate problem of trying to reapply bandages to her wounds. She didn’t have anything even in her room to use. She wrapped herself in her big, fluffy bathrobe, and stole down the hall. Grace was sure that Beel wouldn’t mind if she used his supplies.

She opened the door and stepped inside his room. Everything was just as they had left it this morning. The pillows were still a tripping hazard, feathers littered the carpet, and the medical supplies were still sitting on the bed. Looking at the bed made her smile, as Grace remembered the quiet moments they had shared before life had summoned them away. Mostly, she remembered the sense of peace she had felt.

Grace then frowned and scooped the supplied up off the bed. After everything today had thrown her way, it was hard to imagine feeling that way again. She left Beel’s room and retreated back to her own.

Compared to Beel, Grace was a pretty crappy field medic, but she tried her best. In her opinion, the shoulder wound looked way better than it had in the morning, and she didn’t have too much problem cover that with a square of gaze and probably far more tape than was needed. The one on her back, however, was more problematic. Her ribs protested whenever she tried to twist to stick the bandage in place. After much swearing and no few tears, she managed it, but she was now tired and so very sore.

Not too sore to forget that Beel was planning on bringing her a plate though, so she grabbed her favourite pair of oversized plaid pyjamas and put them on. Grace knew that if she made the mistake of laying down on the bed, she would probably fall asleep, so she decided to tidy up. She put her makeup away and gathered laundry to throw in the basket. Grace smiled when she picked up Beel’s PJ’s. They had been awfully comfortable, and they might not be making it back to him. A polite knock interrupted her train of thought and she hastily threw them in the hamper and closed the lid.

Opening the door, she was surprised to see that it was Satan, not Beel holding a plate in one hand and a bottle of water in the other.

“Is someone sitting on top of Beel right now?” Grace asked. She was hard-pressed to think of any other reason that he would let someone else do the job.

“He and Mammon were arguing about it, so I made the executive decision to bring you something to eat this century.” He smiled pleasantly at her. “May I come in?”

Grace was torn, but he was carrying food. Her stomach having been informed by her nose that there was food nearby, rumbled. “Since you come bearing food, I guess so.” She opened the door wider to let him in. Satan entered and set the plate and bottle down on her desk.

Grave braced herself for the inevitable questions. Are you okay? How did it go? What did Lord Diavolo say? The very questions she had been trying to avoid by skipping the group meal in the first place.

While Satan did ask her a question, it was none of the ones Grace had been worried about. “Did you get a chance to finish reading Demonic Physiology and Inherited Traits, yet?”

It took Grace a second to answer because the question was so unexpected. “Yes. I wish that it had been required reading my first week here. Things make so much more sense now.” Grace sat down on her desk chair sideways so she could look at Satan while she talked to him as well as snag things off of her plate. There was a nice selection of food, including three slices of a vegetable pizza, cheese sticks and onion rings. “Of course, little of that book applies to fallen angels, but overall it was very informative.” She bit the tip off of a cheese stick thoughtfully.

Satan casually leaned against the wall. “What was the most useful part?”

Grace finished what she was eating and thought about her answer while she munched down a couple of onion rings. “I guess that knowing that the more powerful and practiced a demon is impacts how well they can camouflage their demonic heritage.” Some of her bullies were likely a lot less powerful than they pretended to be. Grace had never seen Xantara without any trace of serpent to her features.

“You free tomorrow?” Satan asked, seemingly out of the blue.

Again, Grace used the excuse of eating to delay giving an answer. “Unless Lord Diavolo sends word of his decision or summons me, nothing urgent.” Grace was hoping to have some uninterrupted time with her new video game, or else she would never hear the end of Levi’s taunting. “Why do you ask?”

“I hesitate to bring this topic up…”

Damn, Grace had been hoping that she’d be able to get rid of him without having to answer the tough questions. She took a bite of the pizza and waited.

“I’m very curious about how you managed to cloak yourself last night.”

Okay, again not what she was expecting. She had been expecting a question and that was a statement. Grace waited a little longer.

“Did they actually test to see if you had any innate magical ability?”

There it was, now it was a question. Grace sipped the water and then answered. “Not unless it was something they did while I was unconscious.” Dear God, let that not be a thing. Now, Grace was picturing some unholy invasive ritual. She tried to keep that thought off her face as she continued. “It never seemed to be in any doubt that I had no natural affinity for it.”

“It seems quite obvious to me that somewhere a faulty assumption was made.”

“Maybe it was one of those freak things, like a mom lifting a car off of her pinned child or actually getting the right numbers for the lotto from your horoscope?” Grace replied.

“Aren’t you even a little curious that it might be more?” Satan asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Grace couldn’t deny it. What little girl didn’t dream of being born special? Of course, she wished that it might be more. “Of course, I’m curious, but months of experimentation leads me to believe the likely conclusion was it was a fluke probably brought on by-“ She paused not wanting to say the words ‘near-death’ aloud. “Extreme circumstances.”

“Experimentation?” Satan arched an eyebrow.

Grace pushed away her plate. “Don’t play dumb, it's insulting.” His line a questioning was leading in a very specific direction, and she was pretty sure he’d put the pieces together about the charm.

“How long?” he asked.

“I’ve been about to cast that for about a month. It took a lot of concentration and a lot of effort and before last night the only effect was unless I drew attention to myself or someone was looking for me, eyes slid past me.” Grace admitted.

“Do you have any idea how special even managing that was?” Satan asked. This was no false compliment, Satan genuinely seemed to mean it. “With no training prior to arriving in Devildom and only theoretical knowledge, a human with ‘no natural affinity’ shouldn’t have been able to even fool the weakest of demons.”

Grace looked away from him. In a blink, he was by her side and was tilting her head up to face him. Sometimes they looked so human she forgot exactly how supernatural they were.

“Don’t underestimate your accomplishment. Own it.” Satan said. His gaze was intense and slightly frightening.

“Don’t touch me,” Grace said raising her hand to remove his from her face. Satan did not fight when she pushed him away.

“Apologies, I find it frustrating when you pretend to be less than you are.” Satan picked up her plate. “It angers me more when you hide it so well that you no longer see it yourself. But I did not mean to upset you, my goal had only been to offer to actually test your potential if you should wish it. I apologize for disrupting your evening. Sleep well, Grace.”

With that, he abruptly left, and Grace was left feeling uneasy. Both, by the way, he looked at her, and by the way, he had so suddenly shifted gears. She knew what his sin was, so she should not have been surprised, but still, it was hard to reconcile the Satan that recommended books to the assertive one that just left the room.

As tired she was, that uneasy feeling wouldn’t go away. So, Grace got up and turned off her lights. Returning to the bed she turned on her bedside lamp and made a nest of her pillows. While she was definitely not in the mood to start the new DLC, perhaps some menial grinding would help clear her mind. Grace turned on the TV and booted up the game she’s neglected over the last two days.


	9. Not Your Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So what happened in the dinning room?

Beel was having a hard time processing one of the last things Grace had said in that office. The words ‘ended by their hands or my own’ kept echoing in his ears as they made their way back to the House of Lamentation. One minute he wanted to hug her and tell her everything was going to be okay and the next he wanted to yell at her for even thinking such a thing. So instead of saying anything, Beel just held her hand, letting her know in with action that he was there.

When they arrived home, she released his fingers, and he had been momentarily confused and hurt. When Grace explained why she didn't want to go to dinner, Beel understood. If he was having a tough time processing everything he’d heard and seen today, of course, Grace would be feeling overwhelmed. Beel let her go with only a little fight and would make sure she ate later. Once she had disappeared from his sight, he entered the dining room with a heavy sigh. Everyone with the exception of Lucifer was waiting there.

“Where is she?” Satan asked, finishing unpacking the take-out. Beel smiled at the packages, someone had gone up to Earth for tonight’s meal. He loved human food.

“She’s not in the dungeon, is she?! You better have not left her behind!!” Mammon shouted rolling up his sleeves.

“Mammon, calm down, she’s probably making herself pretty for me,” Asmo said with a smile. “Really she shouldn’t bother she’s beautiful enough as is.”

Beel took his seat and frowned, suddenly wishing he could have skipped this meal too. His stomach rumbled reminding him why that wasn’t an option. There weren’t nearly enough snacks hidden in his room to make skipping supper feasible. “The good news is she’s not in a dungeon but the bad news is she is not joining us for supper. Grace wants some quiet time.”

“Is she okay?” Levi asked, looking up from his DDD.

“What happened in there?!” Mammon demanded.

Beel started filling his plate. There was no point in letting the food get cold. “No Levi, she’s not really okay, it was really rough, but I’m respecting her wishes to give her some time. Mammon, I honestly don’t really want to talk about it either.”

“Well, you really don’t got much of a choice, do ya?”

To prove that he did have at least some choice, Beel just started eating. He watched Mammon get more and more enraged with each bite.

“Beel, please ignore his rudeness and tell us what you can.” Asmo interceded. “Or else he’s just going to go upstairs and bother her.”

Beel swallowed his food and sighed reluctantly. “First, stupid bitch tried to claim it was an accidental attack caused by rage. Xantara hoped she could get off with an insincere apology.” He ignored the various curses uttered by his siblings and continued. “Grace shut that shit down, proving premeditation. Then she went over the details of the attack. In a room filled with powerful demons, her attackers and the only other human student, Grace pretty much relived the incident.”

Beel shook his head. He was so glad her eyes had been closed when she’d told them those details and that she hadn’t been able to see the reactions in the room. Sure, it might have given Grace some peace to see the shocked expression on Solomon’s face or the anger in Lucifer’s eyes, but the barely hidden satisfaction behind Xantara’s cultivated innocence would have just made it worse.

“I’m not going to repeat it all. It was hard enough to hear, but I can say Satan had most of it right.” Beel could see that knowing that he was right did not bring Satan pleasure in this case. “And don’t be surprised if Grace doesn’t eat red meat for a while.”

“So, what did Lord Diavolo decide?” Levi asked.

Beel ate for a bit longer, not to annoy his siblings but he really didn’t want to tell them the next part. Mammon was drumming his fingers on the table, watching every bite that Beel took. However, no matter how impatient he got, even Mammon was not stupid enough to get between Beel and food.

Once his plate was empty, Beel resumed relaying the events. “Then the bitch tried to beg for leniency because it was her first offence and had never laid a hand on Grace in the past.”

“No fuckin’ way!” Mammon interrupted. He stood up and started pacing. His hands were curled into fists.

“Tell me that didn’t happen,” Asmo said softly.

“No Lucifer had a plan for that.” It was a good plan, and it worked, but seeing Grace cowering in her chair haunted Beel. “That’s when he brought out the phone for evidence.” Levi closed his eyes and hung his head. Of everyone at the table, he was the most familiar with what was on that phone. Satan frowned, taking a heavy breath, he too seemed to suspect what was coming next. Beel opened his mouth, and still, the words fought him. He didn’t wasn’t to say these things out loud, but they needed to know the situation. “The texts were sent from anonymous numbers, and Diavolo agreed while they were disturbing he didn’t feel that they implicated Xantara personally in the crime.”

“Bullshit,” Mammon growled.

“So Lucifer chose a specific text, with a specific image. It was Xantara’s boyfriend’s dick and the threat was very sexually explicit.”

Beel had been watching Mammon, expecting this to be the final straw for him, but it was Asmo who he should have been watching. Asmo hit the table hard enough to crack its centuries’ old surface. “Tell me exactly what it said.” He stood from the table, shoving his chair back so hard that it impacted the wall behind them. “I want to know exactly what they threatened.” Most people never saw Asmo angry, in fact, they probably couldn’t picture it. They were lucky because in his anger was in some ways even more terrifying than even Satan’s. There was no trace of the gentle Asmo in the demon Beel saw before him. The body language which was usually so soft and casual was aggressive and rigid.

“No, I’m not repeating it. Grace probably wouldn’t want you to know any of it.” Beel said.

“Grace wouldn’t-“ Asmo started a sentence then abandoned it.

Levi picked up his DDD and his fingers flew across the screen. Asmo’s device dinged a second later. Levi looked Asmo in the eye. “I don’t blame Beel for not wanting to repeat it, but I’m ninety percent sure that’s the text of that particular message.”

“Levi,” Beel growled his name.

“He’s got a right to know,” Levi answered defensively. “Besides Solomon was there, so you really want Asmo to ask him?”

Asmo glanced down, his eyes quickly skimming the text. “Well, this explains Grace always keeps me at arm's length. Fucking monsters. I’m going to kill her. I should have let her die choking on her own vomit.”

“Asmodeus, we are charged to leave her to Diavolo’s justice, remember?” Satan reminded him.

“I don’t care-“

Satan interrupted him. “Her,” he repeated, with a slow nod.

It took Asmo a second to pick up on what Satan was saying. When he got the message, he smiled. Superficially it was his trademark teasing grin, but his eyes were still dark and murderous. “I suddenly feel the need for a drink. I do believe The Fall is calling to me.”

“This ain’t no time to be drinkin’!” Mammon shouted. “What the fuck are you doing?”

Asmo ignored him and left the room. The front door slamming could be heard seconds later.

“He shouldn’t be going out drinkin’,” Mammon repeated. “What if she wants him tonight?”

“Dude, I don’t think she wants any of us tonight,” Levi answered Mammon. Then he looked at Beel. “So what happened after that?”

“Lord Diavolo dismissed Xantara, Ari and Solomon, claiming that he needed time to make his decision,” he answered.

“What more could he have needed?” Mammon protested. “Lucifer has strung me up for less with no proof at all.”

“This has to do with the exchange program, and Lord Diavolo has very strong feelings about it.” Satan reminded him. “So he kept Grace, Lucifer and you back?”

Beel nodded as upsetting as the next part was, he couldn’t help but smile a little at the memory of her tearing a strip off of the Prince of Devildom. “He wanted to know how things had gotten this bad when she was with us. Poor Grace, she was so tired and upset that she tore him a new one. She told him that it was mostly his fault.”

Levi snorted a laugh, Satan smiled and Mammon asked, “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Beel confirmed. “Grace told him the exchange program was a joke. He hadn’t set up proper guidelines and rules. Oh, and the best part, that he lacked common sense and that as a prince he should be able to at least hire an advisor with some. She totally kicked him verbally in the balls.”

“That’s my girl,” Mammon said fondly, with a look of obvious pride. Beel bristled. If Grace was anyone’s human, as of last night, she was Beel’s. Each time Mammon had said it today, just stabbed at Beel, but he hadn’t wanted to cause Grace any more stress by picking a fight with Mammon.

“It was pretty impressive, I have to admit,” Beel said, his voice proud as well.

Satan asked, “How did he take it?”

“We left there in relatively one piece, so I think well. Though he did promise that there would be punishment for her insolence…” Beel let his voice trail off. “Not sure what to make of that.”

The table went silent, and for a moment nobody said anything.

It was Levi that spoke first. “Lucifer won’t let him pick anything too bad, right?”

Beel didn’t have an answer for that one, and apparently, nobody else did either.

“Why couldn’t you just lie to me?” Levi asked. He shook his head and glanced down at his DDD. “I’ve got a raid in ten and I’m not gonna miss it just to hang out with you guys. See ya later.”

Beel figured that was pretty much signalled the end of supper as a family. He decided to make a plate for Grace before polishing off the rest.

“I can’t believe you,” Mammon said, giving Beel a dirty look.

“What’s your problem, now?” he asked confused.

“Satan went all the way to Earth and you’re just gonna finish it off,” Mammon complained. “Can’t believe your gonna let my girl go hungry.”

“She’s not your girl, and this is for her,” Beel said. “I told her I’d bring her something up.”

Mammon snorted. “As if. You just keep filling yer gut and let me take care of my human. I’ll make her a plate. I’m sure a visit from the Great Mammon will cheer her up.”

“Stop calling her that,” Beel said harshly. “She’s not your human.” Beel hadn’t wanted to start a fight in front of Grace, but she wasn’t here now. Beel cracked his knuckles.

“Excuse me? She was assigned to me and that makes her MY human and MY girl.” Mammon said loudly.

Beel saw Satan move out of the corner of his eye, but his attention was all on Mammon. It was time to take him down a peg or two. “And I’m telling you, that you don’t have the right to call her that anymore.” Beel rose to his feet and drew himself to his full height. “You weren’t there today and you didn’t see what I saw. You didn’t hear what I heard. You want to know what else she said? It not flattering to any of us, but mostly not flattering to you.” Beel looked down, meeting Mammon’s eyes. “She said that couldn’t trust any of us. Remember the joking threats those first few days, guess humans don’t find those things funny. Some of those are on me. I know, but you know what else she said. That is was hard when the one who was assigned to her continuously reminded her what a burden she was. That one’s all on you.”

“Shut up!” Mammon screamed.

“Try and make me.” Beel invited.

Mammon launched himself toward Beel, transforming into his demon form. Mammon succeeded in tackling him to the ground. Beel being more athletic, swiftly reversed the position, pinning Mammon below him. “You made her feel unwelcome.” Beel threw a punch downward. “Not just that first day. Not just that first week. Every damn day.” He too attained his demonic form. Each of his sentences was punctuated with a blow.

Mammon head-butted Beel hard, loosening his hold. He slid out from under Beel and regained his feet. “You ain’t no saint. How many times did you say she smelled delicious?” Mammon moved into a defensive posture, ready to defend himself but watching for an opportunity to attack. “And that’s recent too. I bet its killing’ ya that Xantara got a taste before you did.”

Beel howled, picked up a chair and threw it at Mammon. Beel would never be able to forgive himself for those words. Never. Not when he’s been used as a threat against Grace. He picked up a second chair and a third lobbing them in a constant stream at Mammon. Broken pieces of wood littered the room, and Mammon was bleeding from several little nicks on his skin.

“Ya just jealous,” Mammon said, stepping closer, careful to avoid the debris.

“Of what? What do I have to be jealous of?” Beel asked. He was more careful in his strikes now, occasionally throwing one to test Mammon’s defence.

“That she’s always spent more time with me. Never came to your games no matter how much time you spent in the kitchen making puppy eyes at her.” Mammon said, “Yer just too big. Too awkward, and you know what else? Too scary.” The last word created and opening, and Mammon jabbed his fist hard into Beel’s gut.

Beel staggered back, barely ducking a followup punch to his face. The words stung more than Mammon’s strikes. They all had a little truth to them. He was a big, gluttonous monster. “Yeah, I’m all of that.” He said, maneuvering around and looking for a weakness to exploit. Mammon was a good fighter, he wasn’t given the rank of second for nothing. If Beel couldn’t find a weakness, then he would just have to create one. “You know what else I am?” He paused for effect. “Hers, asshole. Grace made a pact with me.”

“NO!” Mammon shouted in denial.

“YES!” Beel managed to use that moment of distraction to grab the collar of Mammon’s jacket and lift him off the ground. “She didn’t pick THE GREAT MAMMON.” Beel spun on his feet and slammed his brother down onto the table. “She picked me!”

There was a crack as the table broke. After that, there were no more words exchanged. Beel and Mammon fought fuelled by the emotions they had not given into during the day. Rage. Sadness. Despair. But most of all shame and wounded pride. It did not end until an authority they both obeyed shouted from the doorway.

“MAMMON!” Lucifer yelled first, though it was followed very swiftly by “BEEL!”

Both Mammon and Beel stopped, immediately releasing each other. They stood, torn skin oozing blood, bruises already darkening on their flesh. Mammon’s nose appeared to be broken, and one of Beel’s insect-like wings was ripped. Then both bowed their head in unison and lowered their eyes.

Lucifer sighed and his eyes surveyed the destruction the pair of them had left in their wake. “What inspired this?” He gestured dramatically encompassing the room.

“Just an argument,” Beel said clearing his throat.

“Nothin’ major,” Mammon agreed.

“The human, then.” Lucifer stepped closer, without even looking down he seemed to navigate the debris effortlessly. “Did it occur to either of you, how she might have felt if she came down and witnessed this?”

Mammon and Beel glanced at each other with shame in their eyes.

“No. I’m pretty sure thinking had no part in this,” Lucifer said, the disappointment evident in his voice. “Beel? Do you think that seeing this-“ the emphasis was heavy on that word, “would make her feel safe in our home?”

Beel felt horrible. If she had seen them tearing into each other like mindless beasts, pact or no pact, Grace might never want to see him again. “No, Lucifer,” he answered softly.

“Mammon.” Lucifer just let his name hang in the air. “It is time for you to think of your duties in a more complete manner. If Grace remains here, it is not just your job to ensure her physical well being, but to be considerate of her emotional well being as well. I know this might be a difficult concept for you. You might need to look it up. You might need to ask Satan for help with the big words.”

“If?” Beel said. “If she remains here?”

“Lord Diavolo is considering several solutions to the problems presented today, and yes sending her home is one of them,” Lucifer answered. “After witnessing this, it would be hard to present a convincing argument otherwise. Let’s hope it doesn’t come up in conversation, shall we? Now, go tend your wounds and then clean up this mess.” When neither one moved, Lucifer repeated a single word. “NOW.”

Mammon and Beel both limped from the room. They didn’t exchange words. They didn’t even use the same staircase to climb to the second level. Mammon used the left set of stairs and Beel used the right.

Beel slowly trudged his way up the stairs, his head hung low. He was beginning to think he understood how exhausted Grace was earlier. He didn’t even see Satan lurking in the hallway until he spoke. “Don’t worry. She’s not going anywhere.”

Beel looked up. “You heard that?”

Satan snorted. “I’m pretty sure angels in the Celestial Realm heard that.”

“If Lord Diavolo wants to send her away, how can we stop him?”

“You’ve got a pact, and I’ve got an idea.” Satan’s voice was filled with confidence. ‘Trust me, she’s not going anywhere.” With that said, he started walking down the hall to his room. “By the way,” he called over his shoulder. “You’re welcome.”

“For what?” Beel asked.

“I made sure she got something to eat.”

Beel closed his eyes and cursed. After a moment of feeling guilty and then feeling sorry for himself, Beel realized if he didn't move soon that he was probably going to fall asleep standing in the hallway. He put one foot in front of the other and made his way down the hall. As he was passing Grace’s door, he noticed the light under her doorway.

He almost felt guilty for knocking, but he at least wanted to say goodnight. When the first set of taps went unanswered, he knocked again a little louder. There was still no answer. He slowly opened the door and called her name softly. When that got no reply, he peeked his head in.

Grace was fast asleep. Beel was somewhat relieved to know that it wasn’t just around him that she built pillow forts. She had quite the nest set up. Her TV was still on and he was about to turn it off when he noticed that she’s been playing a video game when she had dozed off. He hadn’t known she was into those, but Beel realized that there was probably a lot that they didn’t know about each other. With a quiet groan of pain, he reached further down to press the console’s button when he vaguely remembered Levi complaining about corrupted data or something. Was that when his console went down at the wrong time or his computer? He looked at the screen and then looked to his sleeping mistress. He didn’t want to risk it.

Beel left the room as quietly as he had entered it and dragged himself to Levi’s room. He knocked on the door. The first set of knocks were ignored, but Beel persisted until a grumpy voice called out from within. “Password.”

“Don’t be a dick, Levi.”

“Wrong answer.”

“Levi. I just have a question. Can I turn off a console without screwing up the save file or whatever it is? Grace fell asleep playing.”

Levi opened his door. He was already in comfy PJ’s with a headset on and a controller in his hand. He took one look at Beel, surveyed the resulting damage from the fight and the impatient look on Beel’s face. Despite hoping that maybe Levi would take pity on him, Beel was out of luck. “Are you sure we are related? That’s such a newb question. I mean Mammon probably even knows the answer to that one.”

“And the answer is?” Beel asked.

“Ugh, just let me do it.” Levi his a button on his controller. “Going AFK for five.” Then pressed it again.

“You can’t just tell me?” Bel asked, trailing behind Levi as his sibling walked up the hall.

“And miss my chance to check out her room?” Levi snorted. “Not a chance.”

“Levi, I’ve already beaten the tar out of one brother tonight…” Beel warned.

“Meh,” Levi shrugged, unconcerned. “What makes you think you can take me when you are at half health at best?” He slipped into Grace’s room. Beel bit his tongue and followed. Levi was stalled looking at her bookcase. “Ooh…”

“Focus Levi!” Beel hissed.

“So that’s what the statue looks like…”

Beel walked over to the bed and picked up the controller. He stomped over to Levi and shoved it into his hands.

Levi looked down at it and then at the screen. He made a disappointed noise. “Why was she slumming it tonight?” Levi flipped through a couple screens. “Yeah, she fine. It autosaved not long ago.” With a couple of button presses, he logged her off and shut down the system.

Beel snatched the controller back from Levi’s hands and pointed to the door. “Out.”

“Way to say thank you, bro” Levi mumbled. He looked toward the bed and wished Grace a good night before leaving. Beel could hear Levi’s voice trail off as he walked down the hallway. “It’s been like three minutes, tops, so how are two of you already dead?”

Beel gave a heavy sigh. He set the controller down by her bedside. Beel shut the TV off next and put that remote there as well. Then he turned out the lamp.

He knew he should move, but he was reluctant to do so. Beel watched her for a few more minutes, her arms wrapped around one pillow, her body nestled in many more. “Tomorrow is going to be better, Grace,” Beel said softly. “I promise. Sleep well.” He reached over and tucked her blanket more firmly around her shoulders.

Beel felt like he was resisting the pull of a magnet as he walked away from Grace leaving her to sleep. However, he had two more missions to accomplish before he could rest. One, clean himself up and bandage his wounds and two, clean up the mess downstairs. As he closed the door behind him, Beel pictured the carnage he and Mammon left behind. It was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a short little chapter to give Beel some closure at the end of the night. Then this happened. This is what happens when I leave five avatars of sin alone without Lucifer's supervision.
> 
> One tiny more chapter and this arc of Beel/Grace's story will be wrapped up (unless the boys upend my plans...again)


	10. The Last One Awake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All of the demons are sleeping, well, all except one.

Hours later, the House of Lamentation was finally silent and almost everyone was fast asleep. Some dreamed of happy things like new books acquired or video game achievements unlocked. Others had nightmares of terrible things that might have happened to the human under their care. While others still, were too exhausted from battle to dream of much of anything at all.

There was one demon still awake, and to say that he was not pleased would be an understatement. Belphegor was locked in the attic, but very much aware of what was happening under his feet. The human living in his home had been enough of an insult, but the last twenty-hours, those were the final straw.

That woman, oh how he hated that woman. Hated the way his brothers now fawned and fought for her attention. Despised how they grieved for her pain. If only Belphegor had thought to use the opportunity to be rid of her when she had been weakened and vulnerable. There had been a few precious hours when she had been near death that Grace had been within his reach. He could have lured her close. He could have killed her and prevented the atrocity that happened next.

Beel, his precious Beel, how could he have lowered himself to making a pact with that undeserving creature? Belphegor hated that his other half was now tied to that glorified monkey, even if she had a fleeting life span. Of course, Belphegor didn’t blame Beel. The fault laid soundly at Lucifer’s feet.

Lucifer had agreed to help Diavolo with this ridiculously flawed exchange program. It was Lucifer who had punished Belphegor for opposing that program with this imprisonment, rendering him weakened and separating him from his other half. Beel had spent months with the same feeling of emptiness Belphegor suffered, and maybe his rash decision to make that pact was driven in part by that. No, none of the blame fell on Beel’s shoulders. It was all on Lucifer.

But Belphegor could make things right. He would fix this. The human would find herself vulnerable again, and the next time he would not miss his chance to rid his home of her presence. If Belphegor had his way, she would never have a chance to command his twin with that abomination of a pact they had made.

While he waited for Grace to make an inevitable mistake, the very least Belphegor could do was make sure that her rest was always troubled by nightmares. Alone in his attic room, Belephgor smiled cruelly.


	11. A Breakfast Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Due to the destruction of the dining room, one of the brothers takes Grace out for breakfast

After Grace woke from her third nightmare, she decided that enough was enough. She took a couple of slow deep breaths and waited for her heart to stop pounding. She tried to recall what had scared her so, but the dream was already fuzzy and out of her reach. Grace shook her head and tried to clear the last of remnants of the fear from her mind. It was a new day, not only a new day but it was a day free of classes.

She climbed out from under her covers and cautiously stretched. While she still hurt, it was again much improved from the day before. Grace made a mental note to ask Beel if the pact had something to do with that. She lifted her shirt and looked in the mirror. She winced, they looked so ugly. Well, at least she was the only one that had to see them. 

Then she smiled, remembering Beel’s hands and how tenderly he had touched her side. She closed her eyes and licked her lips, and just enjoyed the memory for a moment. With a grin, she now looked forward to starting her day. Since she was up early anyway, Grace thought it might be nice to make breakfast.

Grace dressed casually because if she had a say in things, there would be no leaving the house for her today. Her video game was calling her name, and anyone she might actually want to see lived down the hall. Grace slipped on a pair of jeans, relieved that there was no need for the dreaded skirt today. Not wanting to pull a t-shirt over her head, Grave opted for a button-up shirt. Then quickly braided her hair, laying it over her injured shoulder to camouflage her flawed attempt at bandaging it the night before. Grace slipped on a pair of shoes and opened her door to start the day.

She had felt a little bad that she had done so little cooking the last few days. Not that it was really in her control, but it was the one thing she felt she could do in the house. As she made her way to the kitchen, Grace tried to imagine what might be in the fridge. The contents changed so regularly due to Beel’s incredible appetite that it was hard to predict, but there should be at least be the makings for pancakes. If there were enough eggs, she could scramble them as well, maybe with some chopped onions and peppers.

All thoughts of meal planning flew from her mind when she opened the dining-room door. It was empty. Not just empty of people, but entirely empty of furniture as well. The room had the distinctive aroma of carpet cleaner and the walls were so clean they shone. She walked in, a little bewildered and a lot concerned. What exactly had happened after she went up to bed last night? 

Entering the kitchen, she was glad to find that it was spared from whatever tragedy had befallen the other room. First things first, coffee. The favoured brand here was literally called the Black Coffee of Melancholy but she just stuck with the short form. She didn’t want to know what they did differently to the beans. Maybe the beans screamed when they were picked, but she didn’t care because it tasted close enough to coffee from home and had the same properties. Grace set it up to percolate and poked her head into the fridge to see what was left. 

It was rather disappointingly bare. While it made sense given the recent insanity, this was still going to make creating something both tasty and edible a challenge. Grace heard the door open behind her and turned to greet whoever got lured out of bed by coffee with a smile. It faltered a little when she met eyes with Lucifer. “Ah, morning.”

In the time she’s lived here, Grace could probably count the times they’d been alone in the same room together which had nothing to do with RAD business on one hand. He was usually up and gone early, even on the free days. To be fair, she’d never really sought him out. Her instincts always warned her that he was dangerous, and the way the other deferred to him only reinforced that impression.

“Good morning, Grace.” He greeted, walking past her to pour himself a cup of coffee. “You are up earlier than I anticipated.”

Grace didn’t quite know what to say to that. A part of her wanted to know why he would be anticipating her waking up, or just tease him about the turn of phrase, but the wiser part decided just to let it slide. “I thought it would be nice to make breakfast. Yesterday was … a thing and everyone was really supportive. But I have two problems.”

Lucifer sipped his coffee, leaning almost casually against the counter. On his day off, he still looked ready to do pretty much anything life required of him, except relax. Not that he didn’t look good, he looked stunning, but being in the same room as him made her somewhat underdressed. Even if it was, just for cooking breakfast.

“What are your two problems?” he asked.

“Well, one, what I am going to serve for breakfast. The cupboards are pretty bare.”

Lucifer nodded. “And?”

“Even if I solve that one, well apparently, I have nowhere to actually serve it.”

“That is true. The new furniture will not arrive until this afternoon.” Lucifer finished his coffee. “Both are easy to solve, but let us start with the second.”

“Where we are going to eat?” Grace asked.

“Out. You and I will eat out.” He set his cup in the sink.

Grace looked down at herself and then looked at him. “Maybe I should change first.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. This is breakfast, not an audience with Diavolo at the palace.” Lucifer walked to the door and opened it. “Come with me.” It didn’t feel like a suggestion.

Grace followed after him mostly out of curiosity and partly due to actual hunger. As they passed through the dining room, Grace asked, “So exactly what did happen to the furniture?”

Lucifer gave a very brief and noninformative reply. “My siblings.” 

“Can you be a little more specific?” Grace asked.

“I could, but I don’t choose to be.” As they entered the main hall, Lucifer paused. “Go and get a sweater or jacket. It would be a shame for you to have survived the other events to be taken down by something as common as a cold.”

Grace would have protested his edict, except she had been about to ask him to wait for her while she went to get something warmer to wear. She hurried up the stairs, grateful for the opportunity to get not only a cardigan but her purse. Maybe she could pick up some groceries on the way back. Grace smiled, then she could make whatever she wanted for the evening meal.

Lucifer was waiting patiently for her return. Grave still felt conflicted about this and had to wonder if he had motives other than mutual hunger for the invitation. What was she thinking? Of course, he did. Grace sighed and then smiled as she made her way down the stairs. Whatever else was on his mind, she was sure Lucifer would only reveal it in his own time. 

They walked together down the streets of Devildom in silence. Grace was drawing a blank when it came to casual conversation topics so she decided to bite the bullet and ask about something relevant. “So…did Lord Diavolo come to any conclusions yesterday?”

“If he did, would you rather know before or after breakfast?” 

“Before, so if need be I can at least pick a worthy last meal,” Grace replied. She watched his expression carefully. Was that a tiny hint of a smile or just a trick of the light?

“Is your memory that short? He promised no physical punishment.”

“My memory is just fine. I very clearly remember you talking about psychological torture was more effective than physical punishment.”

“And thus no need for a last meal,” Lucifer said in return. “You won’t die from psychological torture.”

“I have a textbook that says otherwise,” Grace said with a smile.

“Ah yes, I did momentarily forget that you are one of the few in the house that uses their textbooks for their intended purpose and not as a coaster.” Lucifer stopped and opened a door the door for her. “We are here.”

They entered a small coffee shop. There were four small circular tables on the tiled floor and a line of booths at the back. Grace was pleasantly surprised. The decor gave the place a warm and inviting vibe, making Grace not feel at all out of place. She followed him to a booth and slid into place. She noticed that he took the side that let him have the view of the door.

The service was prompt. Grace had barely had a chance to look at her menu before the waitress was there, coffee in hand for Lucifer. The demoness gave him an inviting smile, as she handed him the cup. Lucifer placed his order without even glancing at the menu, and Grace quickly skimmed the page, choosing to order pancakes since she was craving them anyway. The waitress barely looked in Grace’s direction and would have left without taking her drink order if Lucifer hadn’t stopped her.

“You take your coffee black, don’t you, Grace?” he asked. When Grace nodded, Lucifer said to the waitress, “And a black coffee for my human friend, please.” The words were friendly, but both Grace and the demoness heard the warning in them. He would tolerate no rudeness to his guest. The message was heard loud and clear. Their waitress scurried to the back and returned promptly with a mug for her.

Grace toyed with the cup in her hand and watched the way the liquid swirled in the cup.

“So, we are back to you no longer looking me in the eye?” he asked. “You seemed to have no trouble yesterday when you demanded to attend your classes. You had no problem looking at Lord Diavolo when you took him to task either, but now the coffee in more interesting to looks at than me?”

“Old habits die hard,” Grace admitted, bringing her eyes up to meet his. It was still a struggle not to lower them. It was easier to be brave when fuelled by anger or adrenaline, caffeine was a poor substitute. “My usual tactic was just to keep my head down and stay quiet. Unfortunately, not as effective here are it was on Earth.”

“You needed such skills on Earth as well?” he asked.

“Yes,” she answered simply. That he needed to ask made her wonder exactly how much they actually knew about her before bringing her down to Devildom, or why she was chosen in the first place. Luckily, she was saved from having to elaborate on the subject by the arrival of their food.

Lucifer started eating immediately, but Grace took her time to identify all that was on the plate. While she knew it was unlikely anyone would be stupid enough to attempt to poison her while sitting across from Lucifer, however as she had told him, old habits die hard.

“Is there something the matter with your meal?” Lucifer asked, with a look in his eye that told her he was a heartbeat away from summoning their waitress.

“No,” Grace said, spearing little stack of pancake with her fork. “It’s fine.” It was actually better than fine. The pancakes were absolutely delicious with a light and fluffy texture that could never be achieved when cooked from a mix.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes,” Grace replied as she prepared her second bite. “And if it isn’t I can tell her myself. She is not nearly as terrifying as Lord Diavolo.”

“What about me?”

“She is definitely less scary than you,” Grace replied after finishing that bite.

“Do you fear me more than Lord Diavolo?” he asked.

Grace took her time, slowly cutting her pancakes. “Is that a question that you really want an answer to?”

“Do I seem like I would ask questions I don’t want answers to?”

She raised her eyes to meet his again. “Actually yes, because you seem like you prefer truths over lies, and the truth is often ugly and hard to hear. So while you don’t want to hear the answer, you would ask the question anyway.”

Lucifer’s DDD buzzed, and he withdrew it from his jacket without looking at it. He set it on the table, his red eyes never leaving her twilight blue ones. “Then answer my question.”

Grace picked up her coffee and took a sip. She would need fortification to answer. “You are terrifying in a different way than he is. He likes to hide his power under the guise of the playful prince. It’s there, but not always visible.” She took a second sip and looked away from him briefly to summon the courage to fully answer his question. “Whether by choice or necessity, you wear yours openly. No one can step into a room with you and not know that you are dangerous, powerful and to be feared.” Grace tried not to hold her breath while she held his gaze or break it too soon. His DDD buzzing a second time, gave her to perfect excuse to escape from the eyes that seemed to be able to look right through her. “But no matter how powerful you are that’s rude.” Grace slid her gaze to the device on the table. “Don’t you chastise Levi for that on almost a daily basis?” 

“True,” Lucifer said, but he made no move to answer or silence it. Instead, he continued with his meal as the buzzing only increased in frequency.

“Don’t you need to check that?” Grace asked.

“No, not yet.” Lucifer smiled as he finished his plate and set it aside.

“What if it is important?” Grace asked.

“Oh, it is important.”

“But you haven’t even looked to see who is messaging you,” Graced stated. The buzzing was almost at the point with little breaks in the tone.

“I know exactly who is messaging me,” Lucifer replied. He picked up his coffee and finished it.

“Then why don’t you answer it already?” Grace asked, trying not to sound annoyed. 

“Because as with most things in life timing is everything.”

“If you don’t answer it or shut it off soon, you may lose the opportunity.” There was no hiding the impatience in her voice.

Lucifer arched an eyebrow. “Are you threatening me or the device? I shouldn’t need to warn you that either action is sheer folly.”

“I think yesterday proves that occasionally my actions aren’t ruled by common sense,” Grace said.

“True,” he agreed. Grace couldn’t read the smile he gave her. “Fortunately, for your sake, you will need to do neither. The messages will all be from my siblings, and the topic will be you. I chose not to inform them of your departure from the house.”

“That seems petty and unlike you,” Grace remarked as he picked up the device and typed a short message. “And I don’t appreciate being used as a means to discipline them.” She frowned, and pushed her plate aside, the food unfinished. Is this why he asked her out for breakfast? To cause them pain? Grace shifted position, getting ready to leave the booth.

“Where do you think you are going?” he asked.

“Thank you for the lovely meal, but if you are just going to use me a pawn to torment your brothers then I have no desire to spend any further time with you.”

“Sit,” Lucifer said in a firm voice. “Annoying my siblings was not my reason for inviting you out this morning, just a fortuitous coincidence. As for petty, I spent my entire evening cleaning up messes made by three of them, and have yet to have had any sleep.”

Grace had many questions, but she asked the one that was foremost on her mind. “Then what was the reason that you did invite me out for breakfast?”

“We were both hungry,” Lucifer replied with a charming smile.

Oh no, not another one of them giving her the cute smile. Nope, not falling for it. “Unless you order me to sit down or give me a good answer I’m leaving.”

“You know that it isn’t safe for you to travel alone,” he commented.

“Thanks for the reminder,” Grace answered, and tossed her braid aside. “But I’ve got a pretty visible and memorable one right now. I would rather have an actual answer to my question, but I will leave if you keep playing with me. I will summon Beel if I need to.”

“You would?” he asked, a slight challenge in his voice.

“If my choice was walking alone because you feel like continuing to toy with me, or summon Beel who may not even be out of bed, yes I would summon Beel,” Grace replied.

He stared at her and she did her best not to wilt under the weight of his gaze. “It is in my nature to toy with people. What I said was true. I did invite you for breakfast because we were both hungry, but I also thought it would be a good opportunity to ask you a question that has been often been on my mind these months.”

Grace settled back into the seat, no longer on the edge of leaving, and waited for the question.

“I am curious. Grace, are you happy?”

That made her blink and left her a little speechless. It was unexpected and it was something she didn’t have an immediate answer to. Grace looked away from his eyes to think about it. Happy wasn’t really a state of being in her experience. It was something that flitted in and out of your life. It was to be treasured because it never lasted. That fact was as true here as it was on Earth. “That’s a complicated question.”

“It really isn’t,” Lucifer asked. “It only requires a simple yes or no.”

“Then answer it. Are you, Lucifer, happy?” Grace asked, turning it on him. “Yes or no?” She held her head high and met his eyes. When he didn’t reply right away, she smiled. “Not so easy, is it?”

Lucifer smiled at her. It was not the amused smile that she had found cute earlier. The one was entirely a different beast from that. Damn, she still could not read his eyes, but that smile was devastating. He could have anyone he wanted with that smile. “I’m starting to suspect that nothing related to you is every going to be easy.”

The bell rang behind her, and Lucifer’s smile changed again. He was now pleased with himself, and there was no mystery about the emotion in his eyes now. Those red eyes gleamed with mischief. The combination was one she’d never seen on Lucifer’s face before. ”It seems your escort has arrived.”

Grace glanced over her shoulder, to see Beel standing out of breath at the entrance of the shop. He was glaring daggers at his eldest brother. Grace couldn’t help but laugh, but she stifled it quickly. So that was the one text Lucifer had sent. Grace shook her head and did her best to hide her own amused expression before Beel made it to the table. 

Beel greeted her with a smile, before coldly addressing Lucifer. “It would have been polite to let us know you were taking her out, especially since she is still without a DDD.”

Lucifer rose from the table, leaving enough bills to cover their meals. “I will not be lectured on manners from one of the two people responsible for the destruction of the dining room. As Mammon’s penance will be for paying for the replacement furniture, it is only fair that you will take Grace to purchase the groceries from your own funds. Now, I have other duties to attend to, and will see the both of you this evening.”

Beel watched Lucifer leave with a disgruntled expression. 

“So spending time with me is a penance?” Grace teased, trying to make him smile. “Is there something you aren’t telling me? He looked at her with a mildly horrified expression on his face.”I’m teasing. Have you eaten?”

His stomach answered the question for him, growling loud enough that other patrons turned to look.

Grace laughed. “Sit and eat. We can shop after.”

“But you’re-“ he looked at her plate with an expression of disapproval because it still had food on it, “finished?” His voice sounded doubtful.

“While you eat, I can have another cup of coffee.” He lifted an eyebrow and looked at her with disappointment. “And a fruit plate.”

Beel grinned and took Lucifer’s seat. He motioned the waitress over and said happily. “I win.”

Grace laughed. “Yes, and I remember you like winning. What are you going to do when you don’t?”

“Cheat,” he said with a wink.

That’s when the waitress arrived and Beel ordered his meal.


	12. I Could Eat the Cutlery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace getting to enjoy a second breakfast asks Beel about the fight with Mammon.

It had been his DDD that had woken Beel that morning. He had no idea how much sleep he had gotten but he knew it wasn’t enough. It had had a very long time for him and Mammon to clean the dining room to Lucifer’s standards. Beel had chosen to ignore the stupid device for a few minutes, as he buried his head under a pillow that still faintly smelled like Grace. Unfortunately. The notifications had gotten closer and closer together, and he had no choice to pick it up. The group chat the brothers shared was exploding.

**LEVI:** Where’s Grace? She’s not in her room!

**SATAN:** I haven’t seen her and she’s not in the library but there was coffee made.

**MAMMON:** There’s coffee?

**SATAN:** Not the point. Point is you assholes make only enough for yourself. Grace always makes a whole pot.

**LEVI:** Can we stop talking about coffee?!

**SATAN:** Pot of coffee means she awake. Have you checked the garden?

**LEVI:** The garden?

**MAMMON:** Lol, ya might need a map to find it. It’s outside.

**LEVI:** I know where the garden is, but why would she be in the garden?

**SATAN:** She likes to read out there. Doesn’t anybody pay attention to details?!

**BEEL:** She also might be harvesting herbs for breakfast.

Just typing the word breakfast had made his stomach growl. Beel had gotten out of bed, and quickly threw clothes, keeping his eyes on the DDD screen while he did. The frantic clutter of messages had been missing two voices, Asmo and Lucifer. Once dressed, Beel had walked down the hall. Maybe she was with Asmo? He had seriously hoped not but that was a better option than her being missing. A brief glance through the door had assured Beel that she was not in there and that Asmo looked as rough as he and Mammon had after their scuffle.

**BEEL:** Anyone see Lucifer this morning?

**MAMMON:** Not if I can help it.

**SATAN:** Could be in his study.

**LEVI:** Should I check?

**BEEL:** All these messages show read by five people.

**MAMMON:** So?

**BEEL:** So, Asmo’s still sleeping. Lucifer, she with you? Or do we gotta send out a search party?

**LUCIFER:** Beel come pick up your mistress. We are just finishing up breakfast at Hester’s on Third. Though if you don’t hurry I may just keep her with me for the day. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind helping me with administrative duties.

That was how Beel found himself standing in the doorway of the coffee shop, out of breath and looking like an idiot. The smile he saw on Grace’s face almost made up for the last part, even if she was laughing at him, not with him. After exchanging a few terse words with the eldest, Beel claimed his vacated seat.

Once his food arrived Beel asked, “How did you sleep?”

“No great, but it makes sense to have a couple bad dreams after a day like yesterday,” Grace said.

He wondered if she would have slept better next to him. She hadn’t had any nightmares resting between his sheets. He looked down at the plate of food, not wanting her to see the thought in his eyes. It had been a long time since he had slept that well himself. Beel was used to hearing someone else breathing in the dark of the night. His room had always sounded so quiet since Belphie left. 

Beel was startled from his thoughts by Grace’s hand on his cheek. “So do you want to tell me about it, or do you want me to hear about it from someone else?” He blinked at her, confused. “You didn’t have this black eye when I went to bed.”

He ate for a while, clearing about half of his plate before answering. “Just a scuffle with Mammon. No big deal, really.”

Grace pulled her hand back and picked up her coffee cup. “Never seen one of your scuffles take out the whole dining room before.”

“You’ve only been here three months,” Beel shrugged.

“Oh, then what I’ve seen so far was you guys on your best behaviour?” She sipped her coffee and then smiled at him.

It warmed his heart that her smiles seemed to come easy this morning. “In the last three months, none of us have had to have a limb reattached. So yes, we’ve definitely been on our best behaviour.” Though by the way his wing was feeling, it had been a near thing last night.

Oops, her smile went away. “Please tell me that was a joke.”

“That was a joke.” Mostly. 

She sighed with relief. Grace went back to eating her fruit, and Beel ordered another plate. While they were waiting for his next helping, Grace asked, “So what was this scuffle about?” 

Beel automatically tried to delay answering with food, but it wasn’t here yet. He reached for her plate but Grace picked it up and put it on the table of the booth behind them. “Nope. No avoiding my question with food. You can answer me, or if you don’t want to answer me tell me that and I’ll leave it alone. Though you know Mammon will probably be happy to tell me all about how he kicked your ass last night.”

“I could eat the cutlery,” Beel said. It was a joke, though he was entirely capable of doing it.

“You are trying really hard not to talk about it. Was it something I did?” Grace asked. Now she looked worried. He didn't like that, Beel wanted her smile to come back.

“For the record, he did not kick my ass," Beel clarified. The waitress set down his next plate, and Grace retrieved her fruit. Instead of eating immediately, Beel uncharacteristically played with his food. “I don’t really want to tell you why we were fighting cause it doesn’t really paint me in a good light.”

“Will it sounds any better coming from Mammon?”

“No.” Beel took a deep breath, and instead of looking at her eyes, he looked at Grace’s hands. “You know how he’s always calling you ‘his human’?”

“Yeah,” Grace said, noncommittally.

“Well, I was already really upset. Like really upset by all the stuff yesterday, and every single time he said it, it just pissed me off. Cause if you were anybody’s human, well…” his voice trailed off and he quickly placed up. “After the pact, you’d be mine.” He watched to see how she reacted.

“Huh.” Grace looked serious as she tried to process that. “So, you think I’m an object to be owned?”

“NO!” Beel protested fiercely.

“Do you think Mammon feels I am?”

“Probably not?” Beel couldn’t speak for Mammon, but he hoped his brother didn’t feel that way.

Grace was quiet for a few minutes and Beel was starting to worry. “So is that really what you were fighting about, or was that just the excuse?”

Grace went back to eating, and didn’t seem to need the answer to the question, but wanted him to think about it. Beel took his cue from her and cleared off the second plate of the food. 

When he was finished his plate, she smiled at him. “Think you are fortified enough to survive grocery shopping?”

Beel nodded happily and pulled out the Grimm to pay for his meals. “Let’s go.” He slid out of the booth and offered Grace his arm.

She took it and they walked toward the door. “You realize now that he knows it gets under your skin that much, he’s never gonna stop, right?” Grace asked as he opened the door.

“Fuck,” he swore softly. “You’re right.”

“Sides, you got it backward Beel. I’m not your human, you are MY demon.” She had a playful smile on her lips. “Got it?”

MY demon. Beel’s smile grew a little wider. He could get used to the sound of that.


	13. Shiny New DDD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After grocery shopping with Beel, Grace finds her plans for the day rearranged again.

At one point Grace had a plan for her day. She was going to make a nice breakfast for everyone, and then spend the rest of the day happy murdering her pixel-based foes. Unfortunately, that plan had been derailed several times. First, cooking breakfast became cooking the evening meal because of the lack of a dining room. Then, while they were shopping Beel had suggested that maybe she should ask the others if they’d like to all watch a movie tonight. Grace had objected and said that by the time she put groceries away, prepped and cooked supper, that she wouldn’t have time to because she really wanted to play her game tonight. It had almost broken her to see the little pout on his face. They had shopped a few more aisles before Beel suggested that he would do all the supper stuff and that she could spend the afternoon playing her game. While Grace had been unsure as to why, he wanted this so badly, she had been willing to give in on the point. She could always make a nice supper the next night and as long as she got to play, Grace figured it didn’t much matter if it was during the day or in the evening.

When Grace got back to her room, there was a box sitting on her desk. She set down her purse and approached it with curiosity. Ah, it was a new DDD, and there was a note with it from Levi. 

It read: Your old one was pretty damaged, so we got you a new one. I transferred all your data over. BTW H3NR1 - yes I know and if you don’t log some serious time in the next little bit you are never ever going to catch up to me, even with the XP bonus. 

Grace couldn’t help but smile. He seemed to have taken the news well, but sometimes it was hard to tell with Levi. Only one way to find out. Grace turned on her tv, grabbed her headset and booted up her game. After rearranging her pillows to her liking, she settled onto her bed, picked up her controller and checked to see if he was on.

It wasn’t surprising to see that he was. Grace sent him a party invite and while she waited, she started to type the first invite for movie night on her shiny new DDD. She hesitated, plagued with that momentary fear that they would all say no. Well, Beel said that she could pick the movie. The key to success might be in choice and how she worded that choice. Grace was still pondering her options when Levi finally joined her party.

“Hey, slacker!” he greeted. “I’ve been on for hours. What took you so long?”

“Bite me. I don’t see you telling Lucifer no when he asks you to do something,” Grace answered. She bit her lip and waited to see how he reacted. It was the way she would have talked to him any other time they gamed. Was he gonna be different? Was this gonna be ruined now?

“Not the same! He usually has work for me to do. I’m pretty sure I could tell him no if he wanted to take me out for breakfast!” Levi said with a snort. 

“Have you actually looked at that fridge or are you just grazing on random junk food? Cause if you had made your way to the kitchen you would know that there was almost nothing human safe left!” Grace protested. “It was a matter of survival, in more than one way.”

“If you say so.” He sounded dubious of her claims. “Let’s get this party started. You haven’t started the DLC yet, right?”

“Right,” Grace agreed. 

“I’m not helping you for free, ya know. This is gonna cost you.”

“Yeah, let me guess.”

The next words they said in unison. “First pick of chests.”

Levi chucked. “Damn straight. You ready?”

“Hell yeah, let’s do this.” Grace agreed eagerly.

While she spent the afternoon playing with Levi, she eventually decided on the movie. It was perfect. Grace typed the invitations during load screens, carefully tailoring the wording of individual texts to best tempt each individual demon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a rough day yesterday, Beel decided I needed to go back to his time line and write some happy stuff. 
> 
> And when Beel gives you those eyes its hard to say no.


	14. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace and Beel corral most of the Avatars for a famiy movie night.

Beel brought massive bowls of snacks into the home theatre. His family needed this. Some quiet time to heal the wounds of the last couple of days, the physical ones and the ones they didn’t show. Of course, some of them would deny it and hide in their own pursuits but that’s why he had Grace send out the invites. Most of his brothers wouldn’t tell her no.

That didn’t mean that she wasn’t upstairs fretting about that right now. All but Lucifer had agreed to participate in her movie night, but Beel was sure she expected at least one or two to change their minds at the last minute. His favourite human really underestimated the impact she made on the world around her.

Mammon was the first to arrive, proving Beel’s point. If anyone would have blown off tonight it would have been Mammon, especially given their fight yesterday.

“So, do you know what’s she got us watching?” he asked sourly as he flopped down on one edge of the couch that had the best view of the screen. Mammon dominated the piece of furniture, legs spayed wide taking up far more space than he needed. He didn’t even complain that he had somewhere more important to be, though he might be saving that for when Grace got down here.

Beel shrugged, passing a bowl of popcorn in his direction. “I didn’t ask. What did she tell you?”

“That people die in violent and interesting ways,” Mammon answered taking the bowl.

“She told me that it had Asian girls in sexy uniform skirts,” Asmo said leaning on the doorframe. “And that I could do her nails.” He looked much better than he had when Beel had checked in one him in the am, but Beel suspected that it had more to do with his makeup skills than any rapid healing. At supper, Grace hadn’t noticed any of his bruises, only a set of scratches that had peeked out from his shirt. When she’d asked, Asmo had just replied with a casual ‘all done in pleasure love, nothing to worry about’. Asmo was carrying his manicure kit and was wrapped in a silky robe.

“I woulda thought you’d have somethin’ better ta do,” Mammon commented. “Some party or somethin?”

“No party is better than a pyjama party,” Asmo answered with a grin.

“This isn’t a pyjama party,” Mammon grumbled, gesturing to his usual casual attire.

“Not my fault you came overdressed,” Asmo teased.

Satan shouldered past Asmo, asking him. “Is it true that you’ve been banned from The Fall until repairs are complete?” Despite it being a movie night, Satan had a book with him.

“Officially I wasn’t the one that broke the bar,” Asmo answered innocently.

Satan laughed. “I do appreciate the nice application of semantics but you did throw him into the bar.” Satan settled himself into an armchair where if he chose he could turn on a light and not disrupt anyone else’s viewing.

Asmo shrugged and claimed a rolling footstool to sit on. “It is also on record that I didn’t throw the first punch.” He opened the kit and looked like he was debating on what polish he should use.

“So I take it he won’t be at practise this week?” Beel asked with a smile, walking over to hand Satan a cold beer.

“Not if he knows what’s good for him,” Asmo replied. “I think he should heal at home for several weeks. He might have a relapse if I see him too soon.”

Levi wandered in, also in PJ’s, carrying one of his anime-themed body pillows. He grabbed a bowl of chocolate candies and asked, “What are we talking about?”

“Levi! My favourite brother!” Asmo greeted enthusiastically.

Levi stepped back toward the entrance suspiciously.

Asmo continued, “Would you happen to still have the photos from Grace’s phone?”

“No,” he answered. “I deleted all of that after I transferred her date to the new phone. Why?”

Satan ventured a guess. “So he can identify the other people dumb enough to leave evidence of their threats and subject them to Diabolo’s justice?”

Asmo countered. “I was thinking more along the lines of playing Whack a Mole.”

Levi glanced behind him into the hallway and said loudly. “Sorry, I deleted all of that.” Then he winked.

Asmo chuckled. Beel looked over and saw the polish that his brother had picked for Grace and frowned. No, those two did not need matching manicures. Beel walked over and picked a shade of orange that was a little lighter than the one he personally sported and handed it to Asmo. Asmo rolled his eyes and tucked his original choices back into the kit.

“So what are watching?” Satan asked. “She just told me I’d really enjoy the mind games.”

Levi shrugged. “I dunno I was going to blow this off for a raid tonight but then she said it was a live-action remake of one of her favourite animes.”

Mammon chucked a throw pillow across the room hitting Levi hard enough that it knocked him off his feet. The bowl of candy went flying making the floor a minefield of candy-coated chocolate.

Asmo giggled with glee. “I told you it was a PJ party. There’s a pillow fight and everything!” He was wise enough to roll his footstool out of the line of fire.

Levi got back to his feet, glaring at Mammon. He retrieved the pillow and took aim at Mammon. Levi adjusted his feet for balance, however, he slid on the candy. This had two unintended effects. The first being that he fell on his ass again. The second, and more unfortunate that the pillow missed its intended target and instead hit Beel.

Beel slowly leaned over and picked it off the floor. Mammon cackled behind him. Satan sighed and opened his book. Asmo snagged a handful of popcorn. Levi scooted back away from Beel. “You know that wasn’t meant for you!”

Beel was making a big show of winding up his arm when he spotted Grace in the doorway. She was wearing the same pair of plaid PJ’s from the other night, and big fuzzy slippers. Her hair was braided into pigtails. Beel could see her eyes were wide as she took the whole scene in. She rarely socialized with all of them outside of meals and he wondered if she was going to just silently sneak back up the stairs. Beel smiled reassuringly and glanced at the pillow in his hand. Grace returned his smile, holding her hands up to catch the pillow. Beel gently lofted it her way.

Levi sighed with relief and sat up. “With an arm like that, you're going to get benched.”

Grace walked up behind and thwacked him hard with the pillow. “Did I just hear you say that you are tempted to blow me off for a raid?”

“There’s a higher drop rate for the Peacock Cloak!” he whined.

Grace hit him a second time for good measure. “I don’t care if you couldn’t have snagged a key to the Emperor's chest. I thought at least you would be in my corner!” She play-pouted at him for a second, then tossed the pillow back to Mammon.

“When did my human start talking loser?” he asked the room.

Grace plopped down on the third of the couch that Mammon had left unoccupied. “I’ve always been fluent. Never had a problem understanding you, have I?”

The entire room burst into laughter and Mammon opened and closed his mouth as he tried to come up with a retort. Finally, his eyes landed on Beel. “I don’t think I want my human hanging out with ya anymore Beel. She’s pickin’ up too many bad habits. Getting lippy.”

Grace handed Beel the DVD, and let her hand linger for just a moment as the passed it to him. He got the message and let Mammon’s teasing slide. This was his idea after all, and it would be a shame to ruin it before they even hit play. Beel glanced at Mammon who looked a little disappointed that he didn’t get a rise out of Beel.

They dimmed the lights, but not too much or Asmo would complain that he didn’t have enough light to do her nails. Levi settled himself on his stomach on the floor on top of his pillow, and Asmo rolled back toward the couch, ready to start his project.

It didn’t take long before there was a new argument already about if they should watch the dubbed or the subbed version. Levi was staunchly on the side of subtitles for authenticity, but Grace held firm on the side of the dubbed version which she liked better because it had the voice actors from the anime and it meant if Satan was bored he could read, and Asmo could paint her nails.

Mammon sided with Levi just to be contrary. “Satan can fuck off if he wants to read a book, and what do you think Asmo is, human, your freakin’ body slave?”

“Are you looking for one, darling?” Asmo asked. “I would volunteer. I can be very obedient given proper direction.” He slid the fingertips of one hand along the top of her foot. He didn’t stop there, Asmo’s hand followed her leg up under her pants.

Mammon threw the pillow at Asmo who ducked, managing not to let go of Grace’s foot. “Stop fondling my human!” he shouted.

Grace pulled her foot out of his hands and tucked it under her body. “I’m sorry your application for the position body slave has been denied. You have already shown that you can’t follow even simple instructions. I said you could paint my nails.”

“Can I reapply at a later date after I’ve completed some work experience?” He held his hands out and looked apologetic.

Grace gave him back her foot. “I’m sorry the position has already been filled. I already have one demon.”

“I question his qualifications!” Asmo said, indignantly.

“Excuse me?!” Beel looked at Asmo with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Did Asmo just dare to call into question that Beel’s fitness to be her demon?

“You are very fine at many things Beel, but I just don’t see you lasting in the position of body slave. Seriously, I have to do your nails. How often have you ever brushed long hair? There is a fine art to dealing with tangles without pulling on the scalp. And a proper body slave should be trained in the art of massage. Look at your hands,” Asmo shook his head. “The calluses. Stick to what you are good at, and let a professional take care of this.” Asmo impishly kissed the top of her foot. Grace tried to steal it away but Asmo was ready this time and kept a gentle but firm hold on it.

Beel repressed a growl and sat crosslegged on the ground. There was absolutely nothing wrong with his hands! Grabbing the nail polish he had chosen for Grace, he stubbornly took Grace’s other foot. It was time to show his brothers just how careful and detailed he could be. His mistress didn’t need an additional body slave or an extra demon at all for that matter.

Asmo laughed, “You are stepping into an arena you are not prepared for. You are going to regret this Beel.”

“What is happening?” Grace asked looking down at them.

“We’re painting your nails,” Beel said firmly.

“Unfortunately, darling, only one of us will be doing it well,” Asmo added.

Satan laughed from his chair. “May the best demon win.”

“The best demon ain’t even in the game!” Mammon argued. “Give me the white bottle!”

“What?” Grace questioned, turning to him.

“If the best demon’s going to win, then I need a bottle of polish!” Mammon looked at Asmo and repeated. “I said, give me the white bottle!” Beel hid his smile at Mammon’s need for attention.

Asmo laughed. “You know, Grace is just going to have to get me to fix them later.” Though he gave Mammon the bottle anyway.

“Seriously?” Grace said in a slightly exasperated voice.

Beel glanced up at her, checking to see if this was making her uncomfortable. She was blushing under the attention but seemed okay with it, so he silently went back to opening the bottle. The lid was stuck and he didn’t want to break it by accident, so Beel was being very careful.

Levi turned to look at them. “Can we just start the movie already? With Subtitles.”

“Dubbed!” The rest of the room chorused.

The movie finally started. Beel couldn’t see the screen, but that wasn’t what mattered to him. It really hadn’t mattered to him at all what movie they watched. What mattered to him was seeing some of the anger and stress melt from his family as the movie progressed.

The little things. It was the little things he treasured. The way Satan put down his book when he started to get involved with the plot and the smirk he got watching the different power plays unfold. Levi’s habit of pointing out the inaccuracies compared to the manga and getting popcorn thrown at him when he did. Mammon doing his very best job on painting Grace’s nails until he got distracted and screamed at the screen. She ended up with a white stripe all the way down her little finger as a result. While it frustrated him that Asmo spent more time teasing her foot than applying the polish and of course it still looked best, Beel was happy to see an actual smile on his face instead of the mask he’s been wearing the last couple of days.

The best part was watching Grace. How her body slowly unknotted itself, and she started to insert herself more into the dynamics of the group. He’s seen it a little bit in the past, but tonight she was sharing something she liked with them. While she still often bit the inside of her lip after joining in on the teasing, watching to see if she’d pushed it too far, it was great to see it happen less. Other than when he had watched her sleep, this was the most relaxed Beel had ever seen her.

When her nails were dry she took a photo with her DDD, showcasing the three paint jobs. Then she snapped a few other shots, documenting the state of the room.

“Well Grace, are you ready to kick Beel to the curb and be treated like the princess you are?” Asmo asked. “Look at the quality of my work.”

“I’m sorry, Asmo. My demon,” she winked at Beel. “Did a wonderful job, in half the time and followed instructions. You continue to not be able to follow directions. I didn’t ask for you to massage my foot.”

“A good servant should be able to anticipate his mistress’ needs.” Asmo blinked up at her. “All her needs. And if I can do that for your foot-“ He was interrupted by both Levi and Satan throwing food at him.

“I need to hear this!” Satan hissed.

Asmo said quietly, “We will pick up this conversation later.” He turned toward the screens and leaned against the couch.

Grace pulled her feet up onto the couch. Beel would have liked to join her there, but Mammon was still taking up more room than necessary. It’s not like his wings were even out. So, like Asmo used the couch as a backrest.

Beel still spent more time glancing back at Grace than watching the movie. He smiled when she reached over and took Mammon’s hand with the hand he had sloppily applied the paint to. While she might be touching Mammon, the smile she gave Beel was just for him. He really wanted to steal her close and kiss her. Not to shut Asmo up, though he had to admit that would be a great benefit. No, he wanted to kiss her for countless little reasons. Because she smelled nice. Because she was funny. Because sometimes she could be fierce and the next kind. Because when she looked at him with happy eyes it made his heart beat a little faster.

“That can’t be the end!” Levi shouted at the screen, breaking Beel’s train of thought.

“Oh, did I forget to mention that this is the first of two films?” Grace said, with faked innocence. “How could that have slipped my mind. Maybe because somebody was contemplating ditching to go raiding?”

“But, how does it end?” Mammon asked. “Does the guy with the book or the creepy candy dude win?”

Levi started to answer but Grace talked over him. “Guess you’ll have to come to another movie night to find out.”

Satan was the first to rise from his seat. “Let me know when. I’d like to see how it plays out.” He glanced over at the couch, obvious that the words applied to more than just the movie.

Second to rise was Levi, who missed the subtext entirely. “I’m sure she’d lend you her copy.”

“Nope,” she disagreed. “Can’t watch it without me.”

“Wouldn’t want to anyway,” Satan said with a smile. “Goodnight Grace.”

“Yeah, night Grace.” Levi said, picking his pillow up off the ground. “Wanna help Darwin finish off the Butterfly King tomorrow?”

“I can in the morning or early afternoon. I’m cooking tomorrow, so that’s gonna take a chunk out of my day.” Grace answered.

“Cool, I’ll message him and see what we can do.” Levi headed upstairs.

There was an awkward moment when no one else started to move. Beel broke the stalemate and got first. “You should go get some sleep.” Beel offered his hand to Grace. “No nightmares!”

“Silly human having nightmare when ya got the best demon around to take care of you,” Mammon said tugging her hand a little.

Asmo chimed in with, “I have a fantastic remedy for nightmares.”

“The answer better not be sex,” Grace said looking down at him.

“Orgasm,” he grinned up at her. “Offer stands anytime day or night.”

Mammon let go of her hand to slap Asmo’s head, which Grace used as an opportunity to take Beel’s outstretched hand. She rose from the couch and surveyed the room. “Oh, is Lucifer gonna punish us if we leave this mess to clean up in the morning?”

Beel stopped her from offering to clean it. “We’ve got this. You go up to bed.”

“Hey, why are you volunteering me?!” Mammon demanded.

“If it means our darling can go to sleep sooner, I don’t mind pitching in,” Asmo said.

Beel knew what Mammon was going to say before he said it. No way, he was going to let Asmo show him up. “I never said I wouldn’t help. I just said don’t go volunteerin’ me. Go to bed. Humans need to get their rest.”

Grace smiled gratefully at all three of them, but it was Beel she walked over to and got up on her toes to hug. “This was a great idea. Thank you.” She squeezed him for a minute before letting go and heading to her room for the night.

Beel watched her go fondly. Once he heard her footsteps fade up the stair he turned his attention on Asmo and Mammon. His mouth had a wide grin. “My human,” he declared softly to them both.

Mammon frowned and Asmo just looked at him with a twinkle in his eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrangling five of those boys at the same time always seems to result in unexpected rabbit holes. Dear lord what I am going to do when its seven?


	15. The Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer returns home after movie night has ended

Lucifer hadn’t accepted Grace’s invitation, not because he had not wanted to attend, but because he had received word that Lord Diavolo wanted an update on how Grace was faring in the aftermath of the incident and his council on the final decision on the punishments for both Grace and the demons involved. Lucifer had not shared this information with her. He hadn’t wanted to place a damper on the evening. Unfortunately, he’d had to endure several disappointed texts from Beel about the matter, but while irritating it was a survivable consequence of his decision.

He was seated at the palace, listening to the prince outline the possibilities. Lucifer was still undecided if he should push for Grace to return home to the mortal realm early. Their talk at breakfast had provided no clarity on the issue. The option was still on the table as far as Lord Diavolo was concerned, though it was the prince’s least favourite option. 

Lucifer’s DDD silently vibrated. “Excuse me, my lord, but I should check this. Given the sheer amount of trouble my siblings caused yesterday, if I ignore it I may well find out that they have burned our home to the ground or worse the school.”

Lord Diavolo laughed. “I admit of all of your siblings Asmodeus was the last I expected to cause a brawl.”

“Then you underestimate him at your peril, my lord. He has very strong feelings on the issue of consent. It is lucky that the demon in question is enrolled at RAD or he may have suffered more than just a beating.”

Well, fortunately, the message was not The Fall or any other establishment. Nor, thankfully from any emergency services. It was from Grace. He gave the device in his hand a quizzical look. Lucifer could not recall a time that she messaged him directly.

**Grace:** Yes.

**Grace:** Your question this morning.

**Grace:** The one I didn’t answer.

**Grace:** Yes

She followed her words with a series of photos. Her nails were a mess. One foot painted pink, another orange, and the nails of her left hand, as well as part of her actual hand, was painted white. The floor to the home theatre was littered with food. Satan was leaned forward, his hands clasped and his fingers steepled as he contemplated the screen. Levi was on his stomach on a pillow, a shower of popcorn kernels raining down on him. There was a selfie, where he could see Mammon over her shoulder. There was a gentle look in his greedy’s brother’s eyes as he looked down at her. In the photo of her feet, he could see both Asmo and Beel using the couch as a backrest. 

**Grace:** For about two and a half hours, I was happy. That’s about as good as it gets.

“Anything urgent?” Lord Diavolo asked.

“Not urgent, but it was important.” Lucifer was about to put his DDD away when it buzzed one more time. 

**Grace:** You never answered mine either. I wonder what it would have been if you’d been here tonight. Yes or no?

**Grace:** Good Night Lucifer.

He slipped it into his pocket and returned his attention to his liege. “Just an update. No new emergencies tonight.” Lucifer patted his pocked and decided on his recommendation. “I think that the third option you presented will be the best and promote actual integration for Grace as well as send an actual message to the rest of the student body. As always, the choice is yours, my lord.”

“You know your council is invaluable to me,” Lord Diavolo said. He appeared to think about it for a few more minutes. “If we are agreed, then I will trust that you deliver my judgement to Grace?”

“Of course,” Lucifer nodded. “Then may I take my leave?”

“Yes, thank you for your time this evening. I regret requiring so much of it on one of your few days of leisure.”

“I have six siblings. There is no such thing as a day of leisure.” Lucifer said with a snort as he rose from his seat. “Good evening.”

“Well, I will leave you to what little you have of it tomorrow because when classes resume, things will be interesting indeed.”

Lucifer smiled. “My liege, you have a talent for understatement.”

Lucifer exited the room and accepted his jacket from Barbatos. He said his farewell to the butler and made his way back to the House of Lamentation. He withdrew the DDD again and looked at the pictures once more. Why did she send them? Was it just to reinforce her words? And what of that last question? Why would she question that he would be happy to see his siblings so at ease? Or was it that she could not picture him in that setting?

He pondered those questions and others until his feet led him home. When he opened the heavy door the house was quiet. Lucifer slowly undid his tie as he made his way to his room. He was surprised to see that the disaster Grace’s pictures displayed had been tidied when he glanced at the home theatre. Lucifer’s lips quirked into a half-smile, and their human doubted her impact here. He shook his head and continued up the stairs. 

As he passed by Grace’s room, Lucifer couldn’t resist the urge to check in on her. He cracked open the door careful to make no noise.

“I think I’m going to need a lock on that,” Grace said from the bed. She reached over and turned on the light. “Oh, Lucifer. I wasn’t expecting it to be you.”

Since she had turned the light on, Lucifer took that an invitation to enter. “And which of my brothers were you expecting a late-night visit from?”

Grace counted on her fingers. “I think Levi and Asmo were the only ones that haven’t peeked in tonight. Everyone wants to make sure I get a good night's sleep, but they keep opening the door.” Grace yawned.

“Did I wake you?” Lucifer asked.

“No, I was awake.” Grace sat up further and rubbed her eyes. “How was your evening?”

“Not nearly as entertaining as yours, I see.” Lucifer gestured to her desk chair. “May I sit?”

Grace nodded in answer to his question, and he lightly sat down. “I have no pity for you,” Grace said. “You were invited.”

“And as tempting as it was, I had a prior engagement with Lord Diavolo.” 

“You should have just said so,” Grace commented.

“Were you disappointed?”

“Would it be a bad thing if I was?” she countered. 

Lucifer didn’t answer the question but returned to an earlier point. “I didn’t tell you because it was to finalize the punishments, and I didn’t want to spoil the evening. Instead of enjoying the movie, you would have worried about what his decision would be.”

“Well you have to tell me now,” Grace said. “Or else I’ll not get a wink of sleep all night.”

“Xantara and Ari will be removed from all clubs that they are a part of, and that includes their cheerleading.”

Grace sighed, then asked nervously. “And me?”

“Lord Diavolo insists that you join one of the clubs at the academy. I think he is hoping that you will replace the ladies on the squad.”

“Oh hell, no!” Grace swore. “Were your brothers behind this? If they were-”

“Why would you think that they have any leverage with Lord Diavolo?” Lucifer asked, puzzled by her vehement reaction.

“Right, you missed those conversations.” Grace laughed and then relayed to him the whole tale of some of his siblings insisting that by defeating Xantara, Grace by rights should inherit the title of head cheerleader. 

Lucifer could picture their antics all too clearly and could not help but join in on the fun. “Did you ever actually consult Satan on the precedence? If there is a case to made, I fully support the notion and would firmly encourage you to pursue it. It would add to the prestige of the household if you were to take over a position of such social standing.” 

Grace glared at him. “Just for that, you are banned from the next movie night.”

“And exactly how do you plan on enforcing that, my dear?” Lucifer asked.

“I’ll just never host one again.” Grace rubbed her eyes again.

“And punish my brothers for my transgression?”

She yawned. “Taking a page from your playbook. How do you like it?”

Lucifer chuckled. “You look somewhat less fierce when you can barely keep your eyes open. Go to sleep, and don’t worry. It was merely a jest. The terms are that you could take part in any club of your choosing. It is the intention that you interact more with your classmates.” Lucifer rose from the chair and turned her light off. “Go to sleep,” he repeated.

“I’ll try,” she muttered. “But put it on your to-do list for tomorrow. I need a lock on that door.” The sentence was punctuated by another yawn. “Because if I fall asleep and Levi or Asmo wakes me up in five minutes there will be casualties.” Grace burrowed back into her nest.

Lucifer stood in her doorway and listened as she fell back to sleep. Once he was sure Grace wouldn’t hear him, Lucifer answered the question she had posed in her text. “Yes,” he said softly and then closed the door behind him.


	16. My Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some conversations should not be had before both parties are fully caffeinated.

After a second night of next to no sleep, Grace was up early and brewing a pot of coffee. Luckily, there was no need to make anything for breakfast today. The pantry was full and there were all sorts of assorted pastries and fruit to graze upon. Nobody would starve to death.

Instead of staring at the dripping coffee, Grace was sitting at the counter, going over the list of clubs RAD had to offers. It was more complicated than the homework she’d polished off when she’d given up on the notion of sleep at four am. She didn’t want to join any of the clubs that Xantara and Ari were going to be ejected from, nor any that had multiple members of their inner circle. It was leaving the pickings rather slim.

The door behind her opened, and Grace glanced over her shoulder to see who the early riser was. Surprisingly, it was Mammon who strutted in, and he was fully dressed and properly groomed. He must have a shoot today. Good thing he healed quick or the photographer would kick his ass. There was nothing wrong with him that couldn’t be hidden by makeup.

“Morning Mammon, “ Grace said.

Mammon mumbled something that might have been a greeting. Instead of waiting for the pot to be filled, he stuck a mug under the drip.

Grace rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the list in front of her. Jerk, she hadn’t even had a cup yet.

“Whatcha doing?” he asked, peering over her shoulder.

“I need to join a club,” Grace answered as she crossed off two more options. The voodoo club had looked interesting, but one of the other Queen B’s was executive on that one. Grace didn’t think hanging out where they would have access to any fallen hair and voodoo components would be a good plan.

“Ugh. They’re just a useless waste of time.”

“Did you know there is a club called ‘Mammon Owes Me Money’?” Grace joked, glaring at the coffee cup in his hand.

“Seriously?” He squinted at the list. “Great. Lend me some cash and join that one. Problem solved.”

“It was a joke,” Grace said.

“Damn, cause I really could have used some Grimm.”

Grace shook her head and bit her tongue. Mammon was just being Mammon. He wasn’t trying to annoy her. It wasn’t his fault she was sleep deprived and in a pissy mood. So she smiled and did her best to sound cheerful. “Looks like you’re working today so you should be flush soon.”

“Yeah, one of the other models dropped out at last minute, so the Great Mammon is going to save the day,” Mammon replied. He paused and then asked. “Hey, you got the day off so why don’t you come to the shoot? I mean so that you can keep an eye on my shit and stuff. Some people on set have sticky fingers.”

She smiled without looking up at him and continued to bite her tongue. The only person on the set likely to have sticky fingers would be him. “Sorry, I’ve got plans with Levi and Darwin in a couple hours.”

“Right,” Mammon said. Grace could hear the disappointment in his voice. “So…how come you never told me about that? The whole gamer girl thing ya got going on?”

The loser thing? At least that’s how he put it last night. “There is a lot of things I don’t tell you,” Grace answered as she violently crossed another club off the list. Nope. There was no way she was joining a club that was all about exploring the cultural delicacies of the human world. They were not talking about regional cuisine.

Mammon was quiet for a minute and stopped hovering over the shoulder. When he returned he set a mug down by her left hand. “Yeah…bout that…you’ve been keepin’ lots of secrets.”

Oh. Did he really want to talk about that stuff? Now? Grace was really not awake or caffeinated enough to have a conversation about the heavy stuff. She set down her pen and blew on the coffee. She turned on the stool so she could meet his eyes over the edge of your mug. “What happened, Mammon, that stuff, it's not your fault.”

“Not so sure ‘bout that,” he disagreed. Mammon reached past her and grabbed fruit from the bowl hanging near the window. It looked like a cross between a banana and a pineapple. “Maybe if I teased ya less-“

“Wouldn’t have made a difference,” Grace said firmly. “Can we drop this please?”

Mammon looked intently at his hands as if peeling the fruit required his full attention. “No. Ya almost died and maybe ya wouldn’t if I had been a little less of an ass.”

“You are about to go to work, and I’ve had less than two hours of sleep.” Grace sad slowly and evenly, setting her mug down on the counter. “Do you really want to have this conversation now?” Her tone made it obvious what her preference was.

Mammon tightened his jaw. “I’m thinkin’ if I give ya the option we’re never gonna have it.”

“You’re right, Mammon. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t even want to think about it.” Grace couldn’t deny it. “Can we just pretend it didn’t happen? And tomorrow you walk me to school just like always?”

“No.”

“No?” Grace asked. “No, you don’t want to walk me to school?”

Mammon gave her a look. “Don’t be stupid. No, I’m not gonna pretend it didn’t happen cause if we do that I can’t stop it from happening again.”

“I told you it wasn’t your fault! There was nothing you could have done! There was nothing I was going to let you do!” Grace shouted.

“Why? Why didn’t ya let me take care of you?” Mammon demanded.

“Cause I don’t like letting anyone take care of me! Cause I don’t trust anyone to take care of me!” Grace yelled, standing from the stool. It wouldn’t help the height difference but she felt better standing than sitting.

“You trust him!” Mammon snapped back.

“Fuck, and I thought Lucifer’s sin was pride.” Grace shook her head. This was about Beel. She was so angry that the words got caught in her throat.

“Tell me why.” Mammon pressed, stepping into her personal space. “You’re my human. Mine to protect. Mine to take care of. Why him?”

Grace raised her hands and tried to shove him away. It was like trying to move a wall. “I’m not a fucking possession, Mammon. I really thought you knew that.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he growled in frustration.

“Isn’t it?” Grace stepped away from him. “Are you sure? Because right now you sound like you are pouting that your brother stole your toy! So yeah, kinda feeling like you think I’m a thing!”

“If you were a thing he wouldna have had a chance to steal ya in the first place,” Mammon said quietly, his voice heavy with emotion. Grace found herself speechless again, and Mammon took advantage of her moment of hesitation to invade her space again. Grace suddenly found it really hard to breathe. “Things can be put in glass cases and locked up.”

She rose her hand to slap him, and he caught it before she could. Mammon’s grip was firm, hard enough that it would probably bruise but not enough to break her wrist. Her heart pounded, and she couldn’t look away from his dark blue eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Mammon, let go. You are hurting me.” She wished her voice sounded more confident. It came out so timid and small. Mammon's eyes didn’t leave hers, but he loosened his hold, just slightly. Grace took a deep breath and spoke louder. “Never, ever call me ‘your’ human again. You’ve just fucking lost that right.”

Mammon pulled her hand close, and gently kissed her knuckles. Grace searched his eyes looking for remorse and found it. “Sorry, I didn’t mean ta hurt ya.” He let go of her hand and backed away. “It doesn’t matter if I say the words or not Grace, you’re always gonna be my human.” Mammon gave her a sad little smile and then left the room without saying another word.


	17. Society for the Appreciation of Devildom Flora & Fauna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite her morning starting off on the wrong foot, Grace tries her best to get things back on track.

After her fight with Mammon, Grace fled from the kitchen. Yup, happiness definitely wasn’t meant to last more than a couple of hours at best. She went back to her room and screamed a couple times into a pillow. She was so angry. Angry at herself for daring to allow herself to be emotionally vulnerable.

Grace had honestly thought that she understood Mammon, at least a little bit. That under that confident, brash exterior that he suffered from the same sense of low self-worth as she did. It was why she hadn’t pushed back against his nonsense sooner. She had never imagined that of all of them that he would hurt her, even accidentally.

She wiped her eyes, belatedly realizing she was crying and then took a few deep calming breaths. Grace tried to think about how she could get this train wreck of a day back on track. First things first, she changed into a long sleeve t-shirt. Grace wanted to avoid any further conflict today and didn’t want to have to explain a sudden new bruise.

When she went to toss the one she had started the day into the hamper, Grace realized that she desperately needed to get laundry done. Especially since she was now down one uniform. She bundled it up and headed down the stairs to take care of it. She ran into Satan on the stairs.

“I was just coming to find you,” he said. “Is this yours?” In his hand, he held her list. Grace had totally forgotten it in her haste to leave the kitchen.

“The purple ink was a dead giveaway?” Grace asked.

He nodded. Satan followed her down to the laundry room. “Why the sudden interest in RAD clubs?”

“Lord Diavolo sent word of my punishment last night. I’m to join the club of my choice as penance for my impertinence.” Grace started sorting her clothes and getting the first load into the washer. “His theory is that it will help me integrate better into the school.”

Satan sat down on the table. “The way you say that sounds as though you disagree.”

“For someone who seems to have learned of the concept of school from watching bad sitcoms, I’m always surprised when he forgets the basics of high school social tiers.”

“Do elaborate,” Satan stated.

Grace tried to choose her words well. “The other punishment, the one for Ari and Xantara is that they will be ejected from the clubs they are currently in, and that includes their duties as cheerleaders. This actually complicates the issue more than anything. If I choose any club that they were in, then it looks like I’m gloating and trying to take their place.”

She carefully measured the compound that passed for laundry detergent. It’s neon blue colour always made her a little leery and Grace worried that if she put in too much that not only would her clothes be blue, but wearing them might actually stain her skin into a smurf-like hue.

“The other big problem is that, while those are the two that actually acted, they are part of a core group of students that actively despise me. So joining any club that those girls or any of their boyfriends are in is also a recipe for disaster.”

“I can see how that might complicate matters,” Satan agreed, looking down at the list.

“Then remove any club that actually promotes actually eating me or literally torturing me in some way…” Grace let her voice trail off.

“So it looked like you are down to-“ he paused and skimmed the list. “I see your dilemma.”

Grace took the list from his hands. “However, I think I have a way around it. I was hoping to play by the rules, but given the options, I’m glad that I had lots of time to study the RAD handbook in the early morning hours.”

Satan's eyes lit up. “And what is that?”

“To form a new club, I only need four members. Darwin has asked me to tutor him in potions. So, if I can find two more students then I can start my own club.” Grace grinned. Talking with Satan was actually making her feel better. Probably because she knew would appreciate how clever she was being. He seemed to thrive on semantics and abusing technicalities. “I think I can get away with it as long as the other members aren’t from the House of Lamentation. If the point is to make me play nice with my classmates it will look like I’m cheating if I stack the deck with my housemates.” Grace paused. “I mean, yeah, I’m totally cheating but I don’t want to look like I am.”

Satan laughed. “I like it.”

“Thanks. So, if you know anyone who isn’t an asshole that might want to join the ‘Society for the Appreciation of Devildom Flora & Fauna’, let me know.”

“Is the not being an asshole stipulation going to be an actual rule? Because that will seriously limit your options,” Satan commented.

“Fair point,” Grace conceded. “But they have to at least be able to not threaten me with physical violence or comment on how tasty I look. Shit, no. I can’t make that a rule either. Some of you wouldn’t even pass those standards.”

“Yes, Asmo seems to mention how edible you look on a daily basis, but I don’t think that is the way you meant.”

Grace laughed at that, but it was a touch hollow. It hadn’t been Asmo on her mind when she made that comment. She narrowly stopped herself from touching her wrist. “Anyway, I’m gaming with Darwin and Levi in a bit and will pitch the idea then. If I’m lucky maybe Darwin has a couple friends I can con into this endeavour. So, hopefully, that’s one problem solved.”

“And what other problems are on your plate?” Satan asked. “Saying you’ve solved one implies there are many.”

“Some of them, only time can fix,” Grace answered, touching the bandage on her shoulder. “Though if I do say so myself, I’m healing very nicely.”

“Can I look?” he asked.

“I’d rather not.” Grace still hadn’t asked been if how nicely she was healing had something to do with the pact, and if it wasn’t she really didn’t want to draw too much attention to it.

Satan nodded, not pressing the matter and moved onto his next question. “What else?”

“The past two nights, I’ve barely slept,” Grace admitted. “I should expect that. It’s probably normal given the circumstances. I don’t want to talk about it cause it makes everyone worry.”

“But?” he asked.

“But, it’s only been two nights and I’m an irritable mess. If this keeps up, I’m not sure how I’m going to cope at the academy.” Grave admitted. If she had little patience for the demons she actually liked, Grace could only imagine how low her tolerance for the asshole ones was going to be.

“Try brewing some Fork-Leaf tea.”

“What?” Grace asked. She had half-expected him to pry and ask about the nightmares. Grace had certainly not expected him to make a practical suggestion.

“It has mild enough sedative properties that it might help, and at the very least can’t hurt.” He smiled. “I imagine if you weren’t already running on empty, dealing with physical and emotional trauma as well as the metaphysical ramifications of a newly formed demonic pact you would have come up with the idea yourself. You are the president of the Society for the Appreciation of Devildom Flora & Fauna, after all.”

She appreciated that Satan wasn’t making her feel stupid for having not tried something so simple already. “Thanks for the suggestion. You’re right, it can’t hurt.”

The washer buzzed behind her, and she took a moment to switch over one load to the dryer and start the second in the washer. When Grace returned her attention to Satan he had a contemplative look on his face. “I hesitate to bring this up since we are having such a civil conversation.”

“That sentence doesn’t bode well,” Grace commented.

“Have you had an opportunity to give my offer to retest your magical aptitude any further thought? He asked.

Grace had actually put it from her mind entirely. She almost wished he hadn’t brought the topic up again, because it made her remember the way he had touched her face and the intensity with which he’d looked at her. “Honestly, no, the conversation had entirely slipped my mind.”

“I would be offended except I know what has been on your plate.”

“Is the test painful?” Grace asked.

“No,” he replied.

Grace thought about it. There was no real reason not to. No harm if she failed it, right? No further ahead, but no further behind. “Okay,” she agreed. “But can it wait until I've had a couple decent nights sleep and dealt with this whole club thing?”

He nodded. “No rush.”

“Thanks.” Grace’s DDD dinged, giving her the fifteen-minute reminder for her gaming session. “Ah, animated bloodshed is calling.”

Satan hopped off the table. “A wise man would not stand between a warrior and her intended target. I’ll leave you to it.” He started to leave the room.

Grace called after him. “Satan?” He turned to look at her. “You’ve been a really big help. Thanks. I feel much better after talking to you.”

“Anytime,” he answered. Satan started to walk away again, then paused. “Oh. When you find your other two members, send your application to me. I’ll sign off as your student council advisor. It will annoy Lucifer, and you know how much that pleases me.”

Grace laughed. It was a harmless request and she saw no reason not to indulge his need to irritate Lucifer. “Sure thing. See you at supper.”

She then picked up her list, and her DDD. Grace would have time to grab some snacks, and maybe even find her nail polish remover before game time. The white polish had to go.


	18. A Rare Quiet Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beel and Grace spend some quality time together.

When Beel entered the house, he could smell supper was already underway. He followed his nose to the kitchen because he knew that’s where he’d find both a snack and Grace. Two of his favourite things.

She looked up from what she was chopping and smiled at Beel when he walked in. “Hey!” she greeted. “What have you been up to today?”

Beel walked to the pantry and took out a bag of chips, in order to resist the temptation to graze on the ingredients. Despite what some people that, he had some self-control, though damn the sauce she had simmering was smelling really good. “Went for a run, and then there was a team meeting I needed to attend.”

“On your day off?” Grace asked.

“Yeah, couple of the guys had non-sports-related injuries and we had to reassign some positions.” He opened the chips and ate a couple of handfuls. At least that was part of the reason for the meeting. The other was to make sure the team was aware he heard about or saw any evidence of them harassing his mistress that Beel would personally make sure that there would be potentially career-ending injuries. Beel didn’t think Grace needed to know that part though. “How’s your day been?”

“Started off rocky but got better,” she answered.

Beel was happily surprised at her honesty. She didn’t just say fine. He tossed the empty bag in the trash and opened the fridge. Beel was pretty sure that she wasn’t using the sliced sandwich meat, so he pulled that out and some cheese. “How come it was rocky?”

Grace threw the onions and peppers into a frying pan. It wasn’t until they started to sizzle that she answered. “Didn’t sleep well again.”

“Nightmares?” Beel asked forcing himself to keep the tone casual. Of course, he was worried about it, but he was starting to see that the more he outwardly fretted about it, the less Grace would tell him.

“Can you grab the mantis legs for me?” she asked. Beel pulled them out of the fridge. “Yeah, nightmares. Then, I had a fight with Mammon.”

“What did the moron do now?”

“Don’t call him a moron,” Grace said firmly. “And it’s between me and him, so stay out of it.”

“You sure?” Beel asked.

“Yup.” Her tone made it evident that this was not debatable.

Beel changed the topic. “So, I know you were planning on something Asian inspired for supper, but what are you putting the mantis legs in? I know none of your recipes from home call for them.”

“Just 'cause I’m kinda iffy on certain meats doesn’t mean I’m gonna make you guys go vegetarian. I think the mantis legs will work nicely as a substitute for beef in a ginger sauce. They’ve got a crunchy texture, and similar flavour palette,” Grace answered.

“But you don’t like them that much,” Beel stated. Grace was actually a pretty good sport when it came to Devildom foods. Sure, she usually just referred to them as whatever they closest resembled from the human realm for her own peace of mind, but she was willing to try anything that she could actually digest. Beel craned his head to see what other dishes she had on the go.

Grace playfully smacked his arm. “Stop fretting. I’m making things I like too. I’m just not super keen on cooking anything too closely resembling red meat, right now. So, you guys can eat my creative substitutions or go back to cooking mostly for yourselves.”

Beel clenched his jaw behind a smile. That was a wound that wasn’t going to heal anytime soon. Not for the last time, he wished Satan hadn’t stopped him from finishing the bitch off. “So tell me about the good parts of the day.”

Beel was happy to listen as the excitedly told him about the rest of her day. He didn’t understand a word of what she was saying about the video game, but that didn’t matter. Even being in the same room with her brought him a sense of contentment. He wondered if that was part of them having a pact. Then he shook his head. No. That probably wasn’t it. Asmo never seemed that happy to see Solomon after all. On the other hand, maybe it was because her soul was of a much higher calibre.

“Okay, now that you’ve safely snacked on enough to tide you over until supper, come over here and taste this,” Grace demanded. She dipped a spoon into the ginger sauce and blew on it, before holding it out to him. “Remember the spoon is not going to be part of the final presentation. Don’t eat it.”

“You say that like I actually enjoy eating the cutlery. I usually only do it accidentally.” Beel opened his mouth and she put the spoon between his lips. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the flavour of the sauce. Grace was a really good cook. When he opened his eyes, she was looking at him expectantly. “It’s too small of a sample size. I think I need to try more.”

Grace thwacked him on the hand with the spoon. “Don’t make me banish you from the kitchen.”

“Think you can?” he asked.

“Know I can. Just cause I haven’t used our pact doesn’t mean I won’t” Grace teasingly threatened.

“You’d command me over dinner?” Beel said in a shocked tone.

Grace paused and thought about it. “Actually commanding you not to eat something would probably be one of the hardest things to do. I guess I’ll have to work up to that.”

“What do you have in mind for baby steps then?” There was a twinkle in his eye as he asked her.

“I don’t know. I think almost anything I’d ask, you’d be more than willing to do.” Grace turned away from him and back to her pots. There was a different tone in her voice, one he wasn’t familiar with. Was she flirting with him? Did he see a wink before she turned around? Beel wasn’t sure, but he did know for a fact he had never seen that particular smile before.

“You really are in a good mood today,” Beel commented. “I like seeing that.”

“I haven’t even told you the best part, yet!” Grace said with a giggle. “Can you get the deep fryer out?”

“Are you withholding the story until I do?”

“No! Just thought since you were hanging around any way you could lend me a hand.”

Beel decided to see if she had been flirting with him earlier. “I’ll gladly lend you any part of my body.” The second the words left his mouth he couldn’t help but start laughing. It sounded so absurd coming from his lips. “Wow, how does Asmo say that shit with a straight face?”

Grace turned to look at him. She dissolved into giggles and which just made him laugh harder. Unfortunately, neither of them could stop then. It was probably a good five minutes before both Grace and Beel regained their composure, which was unfortunately when Asmo decided to poke his head in, and they both started again.

Grace pointed at Asmo and then pointed at the door. “Out! If you don’t leave right now I’m going to burn supper! Out!”

Asmo looked very confused but slowly backed out of the room.

“Shit I wish that was a joke,” Grace said as she quickly lowered the heat on a few things and started frantically stirring. “I’ll be so pissed if I fuck this up.”

While she worked on her recovery efforts, Beel did as she had asked and got the deep fryer out. He was getting putting the oil in and getting it ready to heat when he felt her hug him from behind. Grace leaned her head on his back and whispered. “So does that mean that offer is off the table?”

Beel didn’t know what to say for a moment, especially since he couldn’t see her face. “No?” he replied awkwardly.

“You don’t sound so sure about that,” Grace replied. There was still a light tone in her voice. She unwrapped her arms and pulled a few more things out of the fridge. “Do you need to add some riders to that offer? Some body parts are off limits?”

Grace went back to cutting more vegetables. Beel looked over at her, “Now that you are holding a knife I think I better be careful with my answer.”

“I promise selling your organs on the black market doesn’t even make the top ten list of this I would do to your body,” Grace reassured him. The mysterious tone was back in her voice.

“I don’t know what to say to that,” he replied honestly.

Grace looked over her shoulder at the kitchen door. The one Asmo has hastily exited from. “It pissed me off last night when he seemed to imply that I didn’t see you in that way. And regardless of what Asmo thinks, I imagine-“ she put a little emphasis on the word, “that you are more than capable in that area.”

Wait, what? Did she just say that she imagined how he would be in bed? Beel was definitely getting whiplash from this conversation. He was honestly glad that he usually was known not to say a whole lot because once again he was at a loss for words.

Grace returned her eyes to the work in front of her, but he really wished he could see them. What was she feeling in this moment? Why was she telling him this? She chopped for a little while. “Beel, I’m complicated, broken and seriously fucked-up, but not made of stone. Sleeping next to you has been the highlight of my term in Devildom so far.” There was a finality in her tone like that was all she was going to say on the matter at the moment. It was confirmed when the next thing she asked was about the oil temperature.

He was glad that supper prep was moving into high gear, and that he wasn’t expected to maintain a conversation. Beel was lost in his own thoughts. It wasn’t that he didn’t know that she had passion hidden behind the withdrawn facade she wore. He’d tasted that when he’d eaten her flesh. He was just a little shook that she would admit it.

Beel glanced her way, as she put the final touches of the last of the dishes. After putting those vulnerable thoughts into words, she’d put her walls back up. Grace had the smile she wore when she wanted everyone to think she was okay. He wanted to talk more but was afraid of saying the wrong thing. He wanted to acknowledge that he understood that it was hard for her to admit those things and was touched that she did, but he didn’t want to push her away by using the wrong words. Beel was so frustrated with himself and wished he could be bolder like Mammon or Asmo, but then he noticed that the white nail polish Mammon had applied the night before was gone. Maybe he didn’t wish he was more like Mammon.

“You busy tonight?” Grace asked him, while they set the table.

“No?” He answered.

“That’s a question, not an answer,” she teased.

“No. No plans. You got something in mind?” Maybe something you were imagining? Beel squashed that thought down firmly.

“I want you to have a look at the wounds, and I have a couple questions about our pact. Think you could stop by my room, later and we could watch a movie and talk about some stuff?” Ah, this Grace he was familiar with. This was nervous Grace. Where she strung a whole lot of thoughts together and then held her breath hoping the person she was talking to wouldn’t say no. Even though her tone was casual, Beel knew this was something important to her.

“Sure. I can do that.”

Grace smiled a relieved smile. “Great. You pick the movie and I’ll make the popcorn, and the wings, and maybe pour pretzels into a bowl…”

Levi walked into the dining room. “We having another movie night? Dude, why didn’t tell me sooner. I’ve got plans.”

Beel cleared his throat. “We-“ he indicated the three of them, “don’t have movie plans. We-“ he indicated himself and Grace, “do.”

Asmo added his two cents to the conversation as he entered the room. “Ooh, private plans. Beel, you should stop by my room for supplies beforehand. Massage oil, toys, condoms - I know its been a while and you might-”

Grace set the platter she was holding on the table with a loud thump. “Asmo, unless you are currently fucking someone with a dick twice the size of yours, you probably don’t have the right size on hand.” She then stomped back to the kitchen.

Levi had been drinking and it was fortunate he wasn’t capable of drowning because it all went down the wrong pipe. He sputtered and coughed while Asmo called out at the door. “He’s not that much bigger! Feel free to compare anytime! Simultaneous test drive is an option!” Then he looked at Beel. “My toy chest is always fully stocked, I’m sure I’ve got something suitable.”

Mammon came in and plopped himself down in his regular seat. “Do we have ta talk about yer fuckin’ dick at every meal Asmo? Ruins my appetite.”

Satan arrived next, “I agree. The topic has become quite tiresome over the centuries and it's not like the results have changed.”

Lucifer arrived last and took his seat at the end of the table, which automatically singled the end of that particular conversation.

Grace returned with the last bowl of food. Beel saw her smile as her eyes swept the table, even if she looked annoyed at Asmo, and her eyes turned cool when she saw Mammon.

Even though there was obviously something unresolved between them, Grace still took her normal spot next to Mammon. Beel saw a sad look in Mammon’s eyes when he looked at her hand. Grace ignored it and began inquiring about everyone’s day.

For a while Mammon monopolized the conversation, talking about the shoot he was on. Beel was more than happy to let him ramble because it meant he didn’t have to contribute to the conversation and he could just enjoy eating.

Lucifer eventually asked Grace, “Have you had a chance to have a look at the clubs and choose one that suits you?”

Grace beamed. “Yes, I found the perfect solution for me. I’m quite excited by the endeavour.”

Both Levi and Satan looked mildly amused, and Beel was suddenly not happy about not being a part of whatever the joke was.

“You’re joining a club?” Beel asked.

“Is it my fan club?” Asmo asked, eagerly.

“Yes,” Grace said to Beel, then she turned her eyes to Asmo. “No.”

Lucifer explained the situation for those that had not yet heard of Lord Diavolo’s decision on the matter.

“Wait, so you could be a cheerleader, after all?” Asmo asked, looking hopeful. “There are two open spots!”

“Still not gonna happen. Seriously, what the hell is with your fixation in seeing me in a cheerleader outfit? You do realize that they would have to redesign the whole thing for it to fit me, right? I don’t have the right kind of curves for the current template.” Grace exclaimed.

Asmo shrugged. “The design could use a refresh. I still see no problem with this.”

“Nothin’ wrong with the curves you got,” Mammon mumbled.

Grace rolled her eyes and repeated once more for clarity. “Not. Gonna. Happen.”

Eventually, the conversation moved on, and supper drew to a close. Everyone thanked her for the meal, especially since it was obvious that she put a lot more time, effort and thought into it than normal. Even Mammon could grasp the subtext of what she was trying to express with the food.

When Grace reached to start gathering the dishes, Mammon actually grabbed the plate she was reaching for. “I got it, Grace.” The room momentarily grew silent. “What?!” Mammon shouted at them. “It’s not like I’ve never done dishes ever!”

“Fifty years,” Satan said quietly. “I think its been fifty years.”

“Right!” Levi agreed. “Wasn’t that when he replaced the jewel’s in Lord Diavolo’s mistress’ tiara with cut glass?”

Asmo laughed. “Yes, and he had to do scullery work at the palace at her command!”

“I’m sure I’ve done some in the last decade…” Mammon’s voice trailed off as he tried to find some example to use and was failing.

Grace rose from the table, nodded to Mammon acknowledging the offer. Beel tried to remember if she had actually said a single word to Mammon during supper. He couldn’t think of one. Beel closed his eyes and reminded himself that she told him to stay out of it. “Well, I should go get my laundry and get it put away,” Grace said.

“Want to make sure Beel doesn’t see your underthings when he comes by later?” Asmo teased.

Grace walked over to where Asmo was sitting. She leaned down and whispered something in his ear. There was a fierce look in her eyes. Beel hoped for Asmo’s sake he laid of teasing her because Beel could see it was really making her mad. Asmo blinked and cleared his throat. Grace ignored his reaction and left the room.

Levi laughed. “I think she’s gonna kick your ass if you don’t stop.”

“I’d enjoy every minute of it,” Asmo’s eyes were on the door that closed behind her. Beel knew that look. This was now a challenge.

Beel smiled darkly at Asmo. “Remember I’m more than happy to beat the crap out of you at her command.”

“Hell, I don’t need her to command me,” Mammon snorted. “I’d do it for shits and giggles.”

Mammon gathered the first armload of plates and carried them into the kitchen. Beel was tempted to help him, and see if Mammon let anything slip about his fight with Grace. Then Beel reminded himself yet again that she told him to stay out of it. That was going to be harder than he thought.

Beel left them all behind and went up to his room. He quickly took care of his own homework, all the while watching the clock. When he finished, he pulled a movie literally at random off his shelf and went down the hall. He knocked on her door, and she called for him to enter.

Grace turned her desk chair around to look at him. As seemed to be usual for her, Grace was wearing the most ill-fitting, large PJ’s. Beel would swear even his fit her better than the ones she had on. He suddenly smiled at the memory of her curled up in his bed wearing his pyjamas. He wondered where those were.

“What?” she asked.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were staring. Did I do the buttons wrong?” Grace looked down at herself.

“No, you’re fine.” Beel closed the door behind him. “Okay, so let me in on the joke. What’s so funny about the club you are joining? Satan has a great poker face, but Levi not so much.”

“Yeah,” Grace laughed. “It’s not so much the club, I’m joining, but the club I’m starting. See, I like winning sometimes too, and I’m not above bending the rules to get my way. I’ve got four members and a student council member who isn’t Lucifer to sign off on it. Lord Diavolo wants me to engage with the other students, fine, but I’m going to do it my way.”

Beel sat down on her bed. “You really don’t like to do what’s expected, do you?”

“What do you mean? I’ve mostly played by the rules, at least the ones I knew about since I got here.” Grace said.

“Poisoned body lotion.”

“Not against the rules as far as I know,” Grace reiterated. She made a frowny face. “I guess we should get this part over with.”

Beel blinked and was lost. He missed the shift the gears of her mind. Beel clued into what Grace was talking about when she started to pull the bandage away from her neck. Beel snorted, “I don’t know what you are talking about. Checking out your body is going to be the highlight of my day.” Grace looked down and blushed. Beel shook his head and laughed. “That’s what makes you blush? You confidently proclaiming I’m better hung that Asmo in the dining room. Nothing. Not even a waiver in your voice. One mildly suggestive statement from me, and you are the colour of a strawberry.”

Grace smiled and seemed to acknowledge the silliness of it. “That’s cause I like your body and its really easy to say nice things about it,” she said in a soft voice. “I hate mine. I don’t like looking at it, so I can’t imagine you actually wanting to. Okay?”

“That’s not fair,” Beel said. “I don’t like these rules.”

Grace shrugged. Beel noticed the ease with which she completed the motion. Grace sighed, “It’s not like I made them on purpose. It’s just the way it is.”

“Well, I’m just going to have to work on changing them,” Beel said confidently. “Get over here and let me see that.”

The wound on her shoulder was much further along than it should be. New skin was still forming, but where there should be a divot in the flesh there was almost none. It still wept a bit, he could see that from the bandage, but it looked weeks old, not days old. Beel forced a little bit of a smile. “Still got the supplies? Let me do a proper job of covering that.”

Grace walked into her bathroom and brought out the jar of cream, the tape and the gauze pads. When she sat down next to him, there was no hesitation when she tugged the top aside for him to have better access to take care of it. Beel couldn’t help but contrast it to how she trembled with fear two days prior when he offered to do the same. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and as he carefully spread the cream on her shoulder, his eyes were drawn to her neck. With a mischievous smile, he leaned close enough that he could almost kiss right below her ear. He could see Grace’s pulse jump when she felt his breath on her neck. The blush that had solely been on her face crept downward.

Grace cleared her throat. “I didn’t invite you here to play that kind of doctor.”

For a moment he considered pushing his luck and seeing how firm the boundary was, but with reluctance, he drew a little back. “Well, if you change your mind, Asmo did say we could raid his toy chest. I’m sure there is a naughty nurse costume in there.”

“If there is it wouldn’t fit,” Grace said.

Okay, Beel decided that it was definitely time to start changing the rules. He wasn’t going to listen to any more of that talk. He leaned forward again and softly kissed her neck. He heard her gasp. It was a layered sound, with a mix of shock, indignation and no mistaking a hint of pleasure.

“Excuse me?!” Grace protested, scooting further away from him on the bed. “What exactly do you think you are doing?”

“New rule,” Beel said firmly. “Anytime I hear you say something negative about your body, I’m going to kiss you.”

“What kind of logic is that?” Grace said. “That’s rewarding negative behaviour! Kisses aren’t punishment-“ she paused, thought about it and amended the statement. “most kisses aren’t punishment. You’d only be encouraging me to say bad things about myself!”

Beel smiled mischievously. “So what I heard is that you liked the kiss.”

Grace picked up one of her pillows and hit him with it. She looked exasperated, but she didn’t look mad. Beel would take it. “And this is why we are in my room, so I can kick your ass out if you don’t behave.”

“Please don’t kick me out,” Beel said. “I promise I’ll be good.”

Grace snorted. “I’ve been around you guys long enough to know a loophole when I hear one. You didn’t actually say you would behave.”

“Come back over here, I will only play the authorized version of doctor,” Beel promised.

Grace’s sigh sounded skeptical, but she moved closer again. “You are full of mischief tonight.”

“You started it,” Beel protested, gently taping the gauze on her shoulder.

“How did I start it?” Grace asked.

“You told me you liked me, and I now I just want to show you how much I like you,” Beel said honestly. “Can I check your back?”

Grace nodded. She was quiet while he removed the gauze she had sloppily applied over it. Beel wasn’t surprised to see that it was as improved as her shoulder. He chose not to comment, just quickly applied the cream and bandaged it back up. “So, this isn’t normal.”

“Me liking you?”Beel tried to joke.

“Well, that too in my opinion, but I mean the healing thing.” Grace sounded worried. “Is it part of the pact thing? I shouldn’t be healing this quick. I know that.”

Beel chose his words carefully. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. You’re healing just right for the circumstances.” He might have implied the pact was the cause but he didn’t say it.

Grace breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. I’ve got enough to worry about as it is.”

Beel reached over and took her hand. He gave her a perfectly gentlemanly kiss on the fingers. “Remember, you don’t have to do it all yourself. I’m literally at your command. We’re in this together.”

“I’m really not good at letting people get involved in my problems,” Grace said. When Beel opened his mouth to make a smart ass remark, she put a finger on his lips. “Shut it, but I’m trying okay? I’m trying. Now, I promised you snacks, and I need to brew myself a cup of tea, so I’m gonna pop down to the kitchen.” Grace tried to tug her hand free, but Beel held on.

“I’ll come with you. You can’t carry all the snacks up by yourself.” Beel kept her hand held in his all the way to the kitchen and only let it go when she needed it to use the mortar and pestle to grind some leaves. While she took care of that, he popped the popcorn. The tea did not smell pleasant when she brewed it, even Grace made a face at it. “If you don’t like it why are you making it?”

“You know the whole I’m trying to let people help me with my problems? Well, I was talking to Satan today, and he thought this might help me sleep. So I’ll give it try.”

“You never asked me for my advice on how to get a good night sleep,” Beel said.

“And what would your advice be?” Grace asked while she pulled both a bag of jelly beans and a bag of pretzels from the pantry.

“Change of location,” Beel said his tone playful but he was being quite serious. “You seemed to sleep really well in my bed.”

“You’re right, I have to admit I did.” Grace agreed a little too easily. “We should trade rooms.” She nodded seriously then gave him a playful wink. “Your mattress is super comfortable.”

Beel laughed. “Sure, that was what I was going for.”

They carried their spoils back up to her room. Beel had been right, there was no way she would have been able to carry those up the stairs all herself. As they passed Satan’s room, Beel asked. “Did he had any other good advice for you?”

“Once some things settle, he wants to retest my innate magic ability. He’s pretty sure someone screwed up. I think it was all a fluke.” Grace shrugged. “Satan also said that the test doesn’t hurt. So if I fail it, it wouldn’t actually be a big deal.”

Beel forced himself to make a noise that could be mistaken for agreement and otherwise didn’t comment.

Back in her room, he put in the DVD, and she crawled into the bed. Grace took the side closest to the wall and arranged the pillows to suit her.

“I gotta ask, what is with the dozen pillows?” Beel asked.

Grace shrugged, “Is that your way of complaining that you don’t think there is room enough for you to sit with me? I mean, you can have the chair.”

“I withdraw my question,” Beel said sitting down with Grace. He wasn’t sure how close to get, but she made her intention clear but leaning into his body and laying her head against him.

“If the tea works and I fall asleep, just turn the light out and shut the door when you go,” Grace said.

“If the tea doesn’t work, I’m kidnapping you tomorrow,” Beel stated.

“Is it kidnapping when we live in the same house?”

“Fine, if the tea doesn’t work I’m relocating you to a different room tomorrow.”

“Oh, whose?”

“Grace,” he growled her name.

“Okay, got it. You want to keep it a surprise.” Grace giggled.

“And you complained I’m the one full of mischief tonight?” Beel said.

“You started it,” Grace said, echoing his words back to him.

“And how did I start it?” Beel repeated her words back to her.

“Cause right now, I feel safe so it's easy to be playful.” A serious note crept back in her voice for the next words. “Don’t worry, it usually doesn’t last that long.”

As she settled against him to watch the movie, Beel thought to himself, that if there was anything he could do about it, this time it would last. He’d keep her safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is a little long and rambling, but it flows better as one long chapter then a bunch of short ones. 
> 
> Enjoy their happiness while it lasts


	19. Swear to me on Lilith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beel shares a secret with Satan

Satan was reading one of his rare tomes, sitting on his window sill. The window was open just enough to give a nice breeze and allow any curious cats to enter. Not that a closed window or door would stop them if they really wanted to enter, but Satan liked to make them feel welcome. He looked up when there was a knock on his door. Intrigued by who would be at his door at this late hour, he leisurely marked his page and rose from his seat.

As his visitor started knocking for the second time, Satan opened the door inward. Beel was brought a little off balance when the door moved and had to take a step to steady himself. Beel looked almost a little disappointed that Satan actually answered, which was at odds with what his brother actually said. “Satan, I’m glad you are up.”

“Come in, and have a seat.” Satan opened the door further and stepped aside making room for Beel to enter.

Beel looked at the chair which was covered with books, and the bed which was only slightly less so. “I think I’ll stand.”

“So, what’s wrong with Grace?” Satan asked, getting straight to the point. Beel wouldn’t be seeking him out at the time of night.

“Nothing is exactly wrong with Grace, but I need to ask you a favour,” Beel said.

“And what might that be?” Satan asked, sitting down on his bed. He had no problem navigating the piles of books to find space. It was his bed after all.

“I don’t think you should give Grace that test,” Beel said firmly, not making eye contact with Satan.

That was odd. “Why not? Aren’t you curious about her disappearing act? Aren’t you the least bit worried she could do it again?”

Beel flicked to the side. “I don’t think she will. As long as she’s not in physical danger that is.”

“Beel, look at me.” Beel reluctantly looked at Satan. “Tell me what you know.”

“Can’t you just not poke around and leave it be, as a favour to me?” Beel asked, with an anxious look on his face.

“No. I can’t. There’s no way I can let it slide. I need to know how a human managed to cloak herself from greater demons, and wouldn’t it be better for her if she knew how to replicate it to protect herself better?”

“She’s got me to protect her,” Beel said stubbornly.

“If she lets you,” Satan reminded him.

Beel slowly started to pace. “You are right about that,” he agreed reluctantly.

“She’s going to fail the human test,” Beel said with certainty.

“Why do you say that?” Satan asked.

“Cause she’s not exactly all human,” Beel said the words softly.

The news shocked Satan to the core, but he only expressed in with a sole eyebrow cocked in surprise. “And how would you know that?”

Beel mumbled the next words, even Satan’s naturally excellent hearing couldn’t make sense of the sound. So Satan repeated himself. “How would you know that?”

“I ate her,” Beel admitted. The guilt in those words seemed to weigh on him because he hung his head and his shoulders slumped. “That’s how I found her. I ate the bit of flesh Xantara had ripped from her.”

Satan was quiet for a bit, to allow time for Beel to calm down. He could see the admission had agitated Beel. Satan had been curious how it was Beel had made it to her side that night, and this made a lot of sense. Once a few minutes had passed, Satan asked Beel. “What did she taste like?”

“Home,” he answered automatically. “I mean, like heaven.” It was like each sentence had to be forcefully pulled from his lips. There was all manner of awkward pauses. “She’s got some Celestial in her, and I think she maybe when she almost died that's what saved her.”

This was making sense to Satan. Her human nature probably had a small well of power to draw from, but injured and scared Grace probably broke through to a much deeper well she didn’t know she had. Same spell, much different effect.

“Why does this bother you so much? This is good news.” Satan said. “Now that we know, I can help her. Teach her. Train her.”

“I can’t tell her how I know she’s not exactly human. I don’t want to! The thing that scared her most was the idea of me literally eating her! I can’t tell her I already have!” Beel was pacing again. “Other than the fact she’s healing quick, and that one spell, I haven’t seen any outward signs that she’s anything more than the mortal they claimed. So maybe the celestial bit is dormant again? Can’t we just let this lie?”

“I think that would be very irresponsible, Beel. If Grace has tapped into that aspect of her nature once, she’s more likely to do it again, and unprepared that could hurt her very very badly.” Satan replied. He played different scenarios out in his head until he found the one that was most likely to persuade Beel to his way of thinking. “Beel, we don’t have to tell her you ate her. I can tell her we figured it out from my testing, okay? It won’t even be a lie, I can adjust the parameters of the test. Let me see what we are dealing with before making decisions.”

Beel still was walking back and forth, his hands nervously balled into fists. “I don’t know, Satan. She’s just starting to cope with things. I’m not sure if she can even handle finding out she’s not human.” Beel all of sudden started asking rapid-fire questions. “And what happens when Lord Diavolo finds out she not entirely mortal? Will he want to change her for another student? What if he sends home and makes her forget me? How can she summon me if she doesn’t know who I am? And what about the angels? What if they want to take her away? I’d never see her again if they take her to the Celestial Realm!”

Satan stood and stopped Beel in his tracks. “Calm down! She’s not going anywhere. We won’t let them take her anywhere.” Satan held Beel’s shoulders firmly. “Let me do the test. Once we know exactly what we are dealing with we can make a plan. But, I can guarantee that if anyone wants to take her from this house and she doesn’t want to go, they will have a fight on their hands.”

“You feel it too, don’t you?” Beel asked. “You feel like she belongs here.”

Satan probably couldn’t have put into such simple words, but yes, he had felt that way since early on. Even when she was like a ghost in the house flitting around the edges of their lives. “Is there anything else you aren’t telling me?” Satan asked, neither agreeing to or denying Beel’s statement.

Beel glanced away and answered in the negative.

“Then trust me to take care of this. It’s going to be okay.” Satan guided Beel to the door. “If anything changes let me know. If things you can’t explain happen when she’s around. In the meantime, we will keep this between us. I don’t think we need to get the others involved.”

“I didn’t even want to tell you,” Beel mumbled. “But I was worried you might stir something up with that test of yours.”

“I’m glad you did.” Satan patted his brother on the shoulder, then repeated. “It’s going to be okay. Go get some sleep.”

Beel nodded and started to turn away then stopped to look at Satan again. “Swear to me. Swear to me on Lilith that you won’t tell her I tasted her flesh.”

For Beel to ask that oath of him, it meant a lot to him indeed. “I swear on Lilith, that Grace shall not hear from my lips that you tasted her flesh,” Satan answered solemnly, leaving himself a loophole. Beel held his eyes for a moment and then nodded before leaving to go back to his room.

Satan watched him go and wondered what else Beel wasn’t telling him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This makes a second completed arc in the tale of the pact of Beel and Grace.
> 
> Thank you again to all my readers. You mean the whole world to me. Because of your kudo's and comments I find the courage to open the lap top and keep going. Thank you for making my dream come true by having people to tell my stories to.


	20. An Update for Lord Diavolo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more than three weeks have passed since the attack on Grace and the formation of her pact with Beel. Lord Diavolo asks Lucifer for an update.

It has been just over three weeks since Lucifer had last sat down in this office for a one on one discussion with Lord Diavolo. The last time had been to work on the three month appraisal of the exchange program review. There was almost a sense of Deja Vu, as Lucifer was sitting in the same chair and drinking the same tea. However, this meeting wasn’t about the program as a whole, it was just an update on Grace. Lord Diavolo had insisted to be informed of any substantial changes in her situation.

“And how is the new club going?” the prince asked with a knowing smile.

Oh had it irked Lucifer to no end to be the last to know about that clever idea. He certainly had not enjoyed being caught unaware when Lord Diavolo had inquired about it at the start of the week student council meeting. While the idea itself likely came directly from Grace, Satan literally had his hand on the execution of it with his signature on the document to prove it. Lucifer had wanted to wipe that smug look off his blond brother’s face. However, the council chambers, during the meeting and in front of Lord Diavolo was not the time.

Unfortunately, now every time Lord Diavolo inquired about the club, he had an amused, knowing smile.

Lucifer sighed and pushed his irritation aside. If he was lucky Mammon will have done something wrong and Lucifer would have the opportunity to punish him for a while. “Tomorrow will be its sixth meeting and the group size has stabilized to roughly fourteen members, At first numbers were a little inflated by demons who actually just wanted a closer look at the human, but once they realized there was actual work involved they disappeared.” 

Lucifer did not feel the need to mention the two troublemakers who tried to sneak in a sabotage Grace’s endeavour but they were asked rather politely to leave and reminded if they didn’t they should be very cautious of any beverage they might drink ever. One of the two had tried to call the bluff. That one ended up finding themselves in the middle of a club braying like a donkey until last call. 

Those who to stay now either enjoyed the topics explored, or were drawn to Grace and wanted to be in her presence. Most of her club were mid to lower-tier demons but there were two very notable exceptions to the rule. The first being Mammon. Lucifer assumed that Mammon's choice to join was a ham-fisted attempt to patch up that disagreement from a few weeks back. Grace definitely did treat him cooler than she once had, but she had also not demanded the morning walks stop. The other very strange member was Solomon. Lucifer couldn’t even begin to guess at his motives he couldn’t do anything about it as long he partook in what the club had to offer.

“Is it true what I hear that they meet at the House of Lamentation on the weekend?”

There was no masking Lucifer’s sigh. “Yes, that is true.” He was not in the slightest fond of an extra dozen demons that brought noise and chaos with them on one of his few days of leisure. However, when Grace had asked so politely, with the evidence the House of Lamentation was truly the best place for them to meet, Lucifer had found no good reason to deny her. It was her home as, at least for her time in Devildon. She should have the right to visitors. He had just not expected her to start with a dozen.

“Though my lord, the way the club is structured is quite interesting. In their meeting time midweek, they talk about the ingredient, how it functions in potion work and do practical potion brewings. Then on the weekends they take the same ingredient and explore its culinary properties.”

“Perhaps I should stop buy on a weekend meeting and sample some of these recipes myself,” Diavolo said, absent-mindedly rubbing his stomach.

“I will remind you that Soloman takes part in this and that not all recipes are as successful as others.” Solomon was famously known for his ineptitude in the kitchen.

“True,” Lord Diavolo said with a sigh. “But should there perhaps be leftovers of the successful recipes?”

“Beel always drops by at the end of the meeting. There are never leftovers.” Lucifer stated. 

Lord Diavolo looked disappointed. He cheered himself up, and then asked, “Speaking of Beel, I am surprised that he did not join the club to provide support for his mistress.”

“If you worried that there is so sort of rift between them, don’t. Beel respects her space and supports her making friends other than the Avatars of Sin. As of yesterday, they have only had one fight.”

“For a newly made pact, that is quite an accomplishment.” Lord Diavolo commented. “May I know what it was about?”

“What it is about,” Lucifer corrected. “Since Beel does not yet consider the matter closed. They are at war over buying a dress for next week’s school dance,” Lucifer answered.

“So she is planning on attending without direct intervention on my part this time. That’s wonderful news!” Lord Diavolo was grinning from ear to ear. “But wouldn’t Asmo be more likely to have an opinion on the dress than Beel?”

“It is not the dress itself that is causing the dispute. It’s that she wishes to go shopping at Majolish with three of the girls from her club. An actual girl’s night. However, Beel is of the opinion he or one of his brothers should accompany the ladies, which to Grace invalidates the concept of a girl’s night. While to a certain extent I understand his caution, I am also aware of the importance you place on the human students finding their place here both at the academy as well as in Devildom as a whole. I have chosen to allow it, as long as she stays within sight of her classmates for the duration of the evening, carries her DDD the entire time, and promises not to hesitate to summon Beel if her gut tells her something is awry.”

Lord Diavolo nodded. “Those seem to be fair stipulations and the ladies are just going to Majolish, not the wilds of the Devildom. Let me additionally put my seal of approval on the outing. Barbatos will chauffeur the ladies to the store and pick them up at an appointed time. Both arriving in my vehicle and being escorted to the shop by my servant will send a clear menage to the staff and the shoppers. Grace cannot object to that, because it is an honour to be served by my butler.”

Lucifer smiled. “I’m sure that the ladies will be grateful for your generosity.”

“So which ladies are accompanying Grace on this outing?” Diavolo asked, his eye alight with curiosity.

“Honestly, my lord, it will sound like the set up for a bad joke. A succubus, a harpy and an almiraj make friends with a human.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almiraj are a mythical bunny type creature with a unicorn horn.


	21. The Blurry Line Between Discussion and Argument

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not willing to let it go Beel tried one last time to convince Grace that shopping is a bad idea.

As Beel walked home from his game, he contemplated the last few weeks. They had been fantastic as far as he was concerned, even though what he had with Grace seemed to exist in a grey zone somewhere at the intersection of friendship, relationship and pact. In a way, he was afraid that if he attempted to define what they were it would limit or change what they already had.

Beel was starting to figure out and navigate the subconscious set of rules Grace had when it came to touch. Some of them seemed to make no sense at all to him. No kisses of any kind on the academy grounds, but hugs were totally acceptable, as well as hand-holding and putting an arm around her when she joined him at lunch.

At home, there was much more leeway. Kisses on exposed skin were fine, especially when there were cuddles, and Beel was happy that there ware lots of those to be had. Now that Grace trusted him, at home she usually nestled close to him if they were watching TV, and generally found her way to his room on at least one of the weekend nights.

Things had changed a lot in such a small time. Grace spent far less time in her room. Two lunches a week she tutored Darwin and one other student in potions because they found her much less intimidating than other students. She started her club, and that took one night and one whole afternoon of her time. On top of all that, she gamed regularly with Levi. Even with all that, no matter how busy she was, Grace always made time for him.

They had picked a TV series to watch and usually sat down together to watch an episode a day. Her first choice had been a human cooking show with a master chef with an extremely short temper. It had literally given him nightmares. The amount of food that was cooked improperly or thrown out because it didn’t meet the chef’s exacting standards horrified him. If his stomach could cry it would have wept for days. So instead they switched to a Devildom rom-com he picked. It had forty-eight seasons, so they wouldn’t run out of episodes anytime soon.

If their schedules were both too busy for that kind of quiet time, Grace would usually ask him to help cook at a meal. All the while making sure he had plenty to snack on so the ingredients were safe from his tremendous appetite and he didn’t taste test what she was preparing too often leaving nothing for supper. Sometimes they would talk, but other times they just enjoyed each other’s company.

The only thing that had threatened to burst this happy bubble was these new girlfriends of hers. It wasn’t that Beel didn’t want her to make friends. Beel wanted her to be very happy here in Devildom. However, the idea of these new friends taking Grace out shopping at the biggest store in Devildom without taking himself or one of his brothers was almost panic-inducing.

Three weeks. It had only been three weeks since he had found her broken and bleeding. How was he supposed to trust three lesser demons to keep her safe? When they had really only known her less than those very same three weeks? Would they even understand how precious and special Grace was? It wasn’t that he thought her new friends were a danger to her… okay, maybe a little. He was more worried that they wouldn’t be strong enough to protect her.

Arriving home, he climbed the stairs and knocked on Grace’s door. He thought he heard a muffled invitation to enter, so he opened the door. Grace was in her usual gaming perch, her bed, and had rearranged the mountain of pillows into what almost looked like a throne. She glanced away from the screen and smiled up at him. “Levi, I’m muting the mic. BRB” Grace said, toggling a switch on the headset. “You win?”

“You’d know if you'd come and watched,” Beel teased.

“Told you before, I’d rather spend time with you than watching you,” Grace answered.

“How about you?” Beel asked nodding to the screen. “You win?”

“I will as soon as Levi stops being a showoff.” Her hands were still tapping the controller.

Beel walked toward her desk and was going to sit on the chair. However, there was a siamese cat already curled up on it. That was the other change in the last few weeks. A pair of cats had randomly adopted Grace. At first, she had thought it was just one, but no, it was two, with the only identifiable difference being their mismatched eyes. Both cats had one green and one blue, but they had them in mirrored positions. Only one was ever present at a time, and despite multiple efforts to eject them from the house, they always seemed to find their way back in. “Which one is this?”

“Player Two, he’s got the green on the right side.”

Grace refused to give them proper names since as far as she was concerned they weren’t actually hers, so she just called them Player One and Player Two.

Beel glared at the cat. “Hey, Two out of the chair or I’m punting you out the window.”

The cat looked Beel directly in the eye and yawned, unfazed by the threat.

“Did you really want to sit on the chair anyway?” Grace asked, shifting a little to make some more room beside her. She looked distracted for a moment. “Excuse me.” She toggled her headset back on. “Levi, I know you just unlocked that skill and its super cool and all but I swear if you use-“ Grace scowled at her TV. “Bite me, Levi. This is my last run at the boss tonight and if you blow this-“ There was a pause while she listened. “Why? Beel’s home.” She blinked a couple of times. “How ‘bout I put you on speaker and you can say that to him directly? Yeah, thought so.” Grace clicked her mic off again. She smiled up at Beel and then glanced at the spot beside her. Beel, however, chose to sit near the end of the bed.

Grace rolled her eyes. “Oh, so are we still arguing about tomorrow?”

“Discussing,” Beel clarified.

“No, it stopped being discussing sometime yesterday.” Grace frowned. She turned her mic on again. “Levi, I’ve got tot bail, but if its any consolation I’ll probably be on later. Yup, he’s not dropping it.” She turned off her game to give Beel her full attention. “Have you come up with any new reason why I shouldn’t be allowed to go out shopping for two hours in the company of three other demons, all of which who at this point have been repeatedly threatened by multiple members of this household?”

“No, nothing new,” Beel muttered.

“Then why are we still talking about this? It’s dress shopping. I’m not going out into the woods to sacrifice something and swear some blood sister oath with them.” Grace paused and grinned at him. “That’s on the books for next month.”

“Not funny, Grace.”

“Neither is the fact that this is still an issue!” Grace replied with a serious look on her face. “What else can I do to make you feel better about this? I’ve agreed to every stipulation that Lucifer has set. I’m not to leave their sight. I will have my DDD with me at all times. I will summon you if I feel something is wrong.”

“Why can’t I just come with?” Beel asked, yet again.

“Because I really want to spend some time just with the girls, and you aren’t one.”

“Then have them other for a movie night, or a sleepover or something,” Beel countered.

“Having a sleepover here means we will be interrupted every twenty minutes or so by someone. Don’t even try to deny it.”

Beel reluctantly nodded. She did have a point.

“Would it make you feel any better to know that now Lord Diavolo is having Barbatos chauffeur us back and forth to the shop?”

“He is?” Beel asked. Grace nodded. Beel shook his head, no that didn’t make him feel any better.

“I get the feeling that I could give you every practical and emotional reason I have for doing this and it's not going to make any difference at all,” Grace said. She rose from the bed, obviously frustrated. “Please, Beel, I’m asking you to accept this.”

“It’s only been three weeks, Grace! One of them tried to murder you three weeks ago! You still have nightmares about it! Accepting this-“ Beel paused in frustration. “I can’t.” He rose to his feet too.

“You think I’ve forgotten that?!” Grace shouted at him, starting to pace. “But be careful throwing the word ‘them’ around. Who is ‘them’? Kiva, Zara, and Fri, they weren’t in that locker room! So who is ‘them’? Is it all demons I should be afraid of because one tried to kill me?”

“That’s not what I meant!” Beel yelled back. “Don’t be ridiculous!” He took a breath and continued more softly. “Not all of us.”

“I hate arguing with you!” Grace screamed. She turned away from him and covered her face with her hands. “Beel, having you in my life has made me want to be the bravest, strongest, best version of myself. Because I trust that you have my back,” Grace admitted quietly. “But right now I feel like you want to put me back in the box you found me in.”

“Grace,” Beel said softly.

“Do you know how hard it is not to give in right now?” The way her voice wavered, Beel knew she was crying. “To let you win. Cause you like winning, right? Cause maybe you won’t be here if you don’t win?”

“I just- I just don’t want to see you hurt,” Beel said. He took a couple of steps closer to her but resisted the urge to touch her.

“I understand that, but I don’t think I want to hide in this house from the rest of my time in Devildom. Am I scared? Yeah, but not of the same things you are.” Grace turned to look at him and wiped the tears from her eyes. “I’m scared that this invite is just mean girls being mean. That three weeks of being nice is a setup for them to mock me at the shop. I’m scared that I’ll get to Majolish and nothing will fit me. That the sales girls will be bitches. I’m scared I’ll have nothing pretty to wear to the dance and that I’ll look shitty next to you. I’m scared that I’m being stupid assuming that we are going to the dance together cause you haven’t said a word about it.”

Beel wrapped his arms around her. “I can at least fix that last part, we are going to the dance together, and no matter what you wear you are going to be beautiful.” He kissed her on the forehead. Beel had no idea all that was running through her mind. While he had been focussed on the threats to her body, she had been obsessing about emotional dangers. How could that worry her more than broken bones and blood? “Can I beat them up if they are mean to you?”

He didn’t hear Grace’s chuckle, but he could feel it against his chest. Beel did, however, hear the words that followed. “No, but I’ll let you hold my purse while I do it.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Beel said with a smile. “Is there still room on the bed?”

Grace sniffled. “Only if you let me have another shot at that boss.”

Beel heaved an over-exaggerated sigh. “I suppose it will be good practice for standing by and watching you beat up your real-life enemies.”

Grace laughed and hugged him tighter for a minute. “Don’t sound so sad, Beel. You won’t always have to watch.” She paused, and he could hear the smile he couldn’t see cause her face was nestled in his chest. “Sometimes we can beat them up together, or if they are much bigger than me I’ll let you hold them down for me.”

Then she let him go and climbed back onto her bed. She fixed the pillows to her liking and inclined her head, indicating she was ready for him to join her. Beel sat onto the bed, and Grace leaned into him. She laid her head on his chest and looked up at him. “We okay?”

“I’m going to be staring at the door from the minute you leave until the minute you get back safe,” Beel answered, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “But we’re okay.”

Grace turned her game console on and moved her head only enough to actually slip the headset over her head. The cat abandoned the chair and walked across Beel to settle over by Grace. He could swear the damn thing was purposefully sticking him with each and every claw.

As they settled in, Beel had one last request. “You better put Levi on speaker. I wanna be able to hear when the little shit is trash-talking me.”


	22. Favors and Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mammon has a request of one of the girls.

Mammon was waiting outside, doing his best to look casual. Two of the girls were here, but Mammon was wanting to talk to Kiva. Of the three, she was the one he liked the best, but that wasn’t saying much. Zara was a succubus and reminded him far too much of Asmo with her constant annoying innuendos. Fri, the bunny girl was nice but almost too nice to be a demon. Besides, she wouldn’t do for the task he had in mind.

Kiva slowly walked up the path toward the house. She was as tall as Beel and she often added at least six inches with her boots. She had short cut, unruly brown hair, a huge assortment of piercings. Each ear had at least four, and a thin chain connected one of the ones in her left ear to the one in her nose. To say she had resting bitch face would be an understatement. At any given moment it looked like she was ready to kick your ass for looking at her. Mammon tried to picture her shopping for a pretty dress and struggled. Even when that was the goal of the evening, Kiva was wearing tight jeans with frayed rips and a faded t-shirt under a leather jacket.

She saw Mammon and greeted him with, “I got nothing to lend ya, so don’t even ask.”

Mammon snorted and looked her up and down. “If ya did you should spend it on yerself.”

“That is the plan tonight,” Kiva replied.

“Do ya actually know what a dress looks like?” Mammon asked, and silently cursed himself. This was not the way to start a conversation with someone he wanted to ask a favour of.

Kiva rolled her eyes and did;t rise to the bait. “I thought you’d be inside trying to scare Grace from hanging out with us big bad demon girls.”

“Ya know all three of ya are dead if anything happens to her, right?” Mammon asked.

“I’ve collected the full set of threats from all six of you, so yes.”

“Then it's her choice.” Mammon took a breath and tried to shift the conversation to what he needed. “And speaking of her choice. I - Beel needs ya to do something.”

“Beel?” Kiva asked suspiciously.

“Ya, Beel,” Mammon confirmed. “He wants to surprise her with something pretty and shiny ta go with the dress, but since she’s plannin’ on keepin’ the dress a secret until the big night, he don’t know what to pick. Not that the big lug has a sense of style to start with.” Mammon muttered the last part.

“So, what does…Beel…want me to do?” Kiva asked. “Send him a picture of the dress?”

“No!” Mammon protested. Fuck, that would ruin everything. Especially since it wasn’t Beel asking. “He still wants it to be a surprise! Just make sure she tries on some pretties and put the ones she likes the best on hold. Beel will go pay for and pick it up later.”

“I guess Beel trusts my fashion sense more than you do,” Kiva said.

“I said the one she likes best,” Mammon reiterated. “Not the one you like best.”

“Make sure … Beel … knows he owes me one,” Kiva said with a little smile.

“I’ll make sure he knows.” Mammon nodded. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate it. Now come on, the other girls were here ages ago.”

Kiva rolled her eyes at him and started up the steps. Mammon opened the door for her.

Mammon’s eyes were drawn to Grace, who hadn’t been down yet when he’d gone outside to wait for Kiva. She was wearing one of the dresses Asmo must have picked for her since Grace usually hid in jeans and loose-fitting tees. The dress was a royal purple colour, one that drew that same shade out in her eyes. It flattered her curves in a good way and hid the flaws she thought she needed to hide. There was an opalescent ribbon that accentuated her waist, and the kitten heels she had on matched the ribbon.

He could see that Beel was hovering, not touching but definitely right on the edge of Grace’s space. Mammon had been hoping that Beel was going to get himself into trouble by his stubborn refusal to let Grace for out tonight, but somehow they are worked around it. Beel obviously still wasn’t very happy about her choice but had stopped being a dick about it. Shame. Mammon suspected Grace only had room in the dog house for one person at a time, and he would really like it to be someone other than himself.

The day after their fight, Mammon had tried to talk to her. Her only reply was to show him the bruise on her wrist. To see that on her skin made him both ashamed and horrified. Regret wasn’t a strong enough word to describe how he felt about demonstrating so little control. Mammon had wished he could take both the words and actions back. That entire day, he had waited, expecting someone to say something, either with their words or more likely with their fists. He would have taken the beating. He would have deserved it. It never came.

Grace never told any of them what happened in the kitchen. It gave Mammon hope, that maybe she didn’t hate him. Every school day, she still walked with him. When she did talk to him, she never brought up the incident. On his part, Mammon did his best to never use the words ‘my’ or ‘mine’ about her, but things weren’t the same. He hated that. She rarely teased him now. It was strange how much he missed that, though it wasn’t the teasing itself that he felt the lack of. He missed the way she would always smile after the words were spoken and the way she would touch him to let him know she really didn’t mean it.

Things were getting better now that he’d joined her club. He was more than willing to sacrifice a little of his time for it. If it happened to help his potions grade next term that would be an added bonus. It was a treat to see a different side of her, one that was more assertive and inquisitive. Now, it also gave them other things to talk about. Like exactly how much properly harvested Red Moon Fungus was worth, and that it was plentiful nearby.

Mammon smiled at Grace and asked in a gruff tone, “Why ya gettin’ so dolled up to go buy a dress?”

“Cause I’m going with the reigning queen of Devilgram, and I’m sure she’s gonna be posting some of it,” Grace answered nodding in the direction of Zara.

The raven-haired succubus looked up from her conversation with Asmo. “Some of it? Try almost all of it. Everything except the final dresses, of course.” She winked one of her green eyes.

“I hate that about being your friend,” Fri said nervously. While Fri could hide all her demonic features if she chose, usually she left her bunny ears and the tail. The wickedly sharp horn on her forehead only made an appearance when she was particularly angry. She had fine white hair, blue eyes and a very sweet smile. Where looking at Zara would inspire a man to do anything to possess her, the man looking at Fri would do anything to keep her from harm. “Nobody needs to see that many pictures of me.”

Zara pursed her lips and looked back and forth between Grace and Fri. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you. The men would be tripping over themselves if either of you showed the slightest amount of confidence.”

Mammon stayed silent and decided to wait by the wall, and stand by Levi who was doing his best to appear bored by the proceedings. While he agreed, Grace should have more confidence, he would personally be very happy if a few less men were interested in his human.

Kiva clapped her hands to draw attention. “We ready to get this show on the road.”

“Says the one that got here last,” Zara teased.

Kiva ignored her and looked around the room at the assembled demons, which was all members of the household except for Lucifer. “Does anyone have any last-minute threats before we leave?”

Beel looked like he was going to say something, but Grace gave him a look and he shook his head. She got up on her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. “See you later.”

“Told you, I’ll be watching that door,” Beel answered, nodding his head in the direction of the big double doors that led out of the house.

Mammon rolled his eyes. Beel probably would too.

“Damn girl, is that all your man is gonna get?” Zara said. “He in the dog house or something?”

Grace ignored the statement with the same practiced ease she ignored most of Asmo’s teasing remarks and walked the rest of the way to the door. “See you in a couple of hours.” Grace this time addressed everyone.

“If you change your mind about having me join the fun, text me!” Asmo called out joyfully.

Satan, Beel and Mammon all said a normal goodbye and Levi made a disinterested noise.

The door closed behind the girls, and Beel looked around the room and grumbled. “I can’t believe you guys are really okay with this.”

Asmo shrugged, “I bribed Zara for update photos every fifteen minutes.”

Satan added, “I have my own ways of keeping an eye on her.”

Levi smirked, “I’m just going to hack Majolish’s security feeds.” He started up the stairs to his room.

Beel brightened at that, “Can I watch too?”

“And ruin the surprise? You know she doesn’t want you to see the dress until the big night.” Mammon reminded him.

Beel’s face fell. “I guess you are right, Mammon.”

Mammon walked past Beel and patted him on the shoulder. “On the other hand, it isn’t me that she wants to surprise. Hey Levi! Wait up!”


	23. Girl's Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace and her new friends hunt for dresses and Grace learns something new about Devildom.

Grace was in awe of Majolish. She knew that it was going to be big, but the sheer scope of the shop was immense. Once Zara had finished posting the selfie she had taken of them with Barbatos and the limousine in the background, she took led the girls up to the second floor.

Silently, Grace followed behind her. There were far more demons than she was accustomed to seeing. Most were going about their business, shopping as usual. A lot of heads turned their way, but Grace wasn’t sure if it was because they were being led by the walking wet dream that was Zara or if it was the fact that she was a human.

“Just ignore em,” Kiva said from behind her. “They’re nothing to worry about.”

“Easier said than done,” Grace answered.

However, as she took the last step and say what laid in front of her on the formal wear floor, any thoughts of the demons below were banished. Full-size mannequins dominated the centre of the sales floor on pedestals. More than the dresses that were displayed on them, Grace was drawn to the mannequins themselves. They sported horns and either tails or wings and the dresses took those into account as part of the design. “Wow,” she said softly.

Fri stopped next to her. “Yeah, some of them are pretty impressive.” She sighed sadly. “I wish I had a more impressive tail. This little cotton fluff-“ Fri glanced over her shoulder and wiggled her cute little tail. “is kinda boring next to the more prehensile ones.”

Grace wasn’t sure what the protocol was for discussing demonic attributes. Was it a taboo thing? Would it be rude? Especially since Grace herself didn’t have any. She briefly wondered if demons bought prosthetic parts to enhance what nature gave them. Horn extensions? She grinned as she pictured some asshole walking up with clearly fake horns trying to seduce someone at a bar. Grace decided to keep that thought to herself, and walked to one of the walls of dresses. She couldn’t help but glance back at the displays. If she had to choose one demonic feature, it wouldn’t be a tail. It would be the wings.

“Zara, how do they organize here? Is it by size or by colour?” Grace asked. She wondered if the plus sizes were tucked away in a back corner somewhere. In the human world, stores could be organized either way, but Grace had always found it less disheartening when it was by size. Then Grace wouldn’t fall in love with a style that wouldn’t fit.

The succubus walked other to Grace stood in front of her. Grace was not short by human standards, but she felt it next to most of these demons. Zara took one of her perfectly manicured nails and tipped Grace’s face up, staring her down. “Seriously, you need to stop thinking in human, darling. Welcome to the fucking Devildom. Demons come in all shapes and sizes. ALL, sweetie. If you want it, you can have it. We are not as limited in our scope of what is beautiful as the humans are.”

“You say that, but almost every demon at the academy looks like, well, you,” Grace said stubbornly.

“Almost every demon in the academy is training to go up there and tempt them,” Zara spoke the words like she was explaining it to a child. “So of course we practice looking like what they think they want. Almost human but add a dash of exotic and a sprinkle of danger.” Zara sighed. “Honestly, it's boring to be limited by creatures with so little imagination. Now, chin up, chest out and let’s find you something that all the demons would rather see on the floor.”

Grace allowed herself to be led over to the dresses. She really didn’t hear much of what Zara said for a while, it was just background noise while Grace mulled this over in her mind. Did they really think that way? As she touched the fabrics and looked at the designs, Zara’s words seemed to ring true. There were designs no human could ever wear. The proportions were all wrong. Some were too tall and slim, featuring collars for elongated necks, and others were designed with multiple limbs in mind.

This was a side of Devildom that Grace had never seen. She wandered over to the stairs and looked down at the floor below, observing more closely the scene, instead of just letting her imagination fill it in. Yes, most of the demons were humanoid in their features, but others were clearly not. They calmly went about their day, browsing the shelves and looking at clothes. Grace took the scene in. The hooved feet with golden polish. The horns that sported accessories no different than humans wearing earrings. Grace could see the beauty in them, so maybe Zara was right. Maybe they could see the beauty in her too.

“Hey!” Kiva called from a couple feet away. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Grace answered quietly. “I think I am.” Grace for the first time understood the saying that a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She felt somehow lighter, and her smile was truly genuine when she turned back to her new friends.

“Great, then get the hell over here and stop this bitch from putting me in pink!” Kiva complained.

“I’m not talking about a bubblegum pink!” Zara said in exasperation. “A nice rich fuchsia would look lovely against your skin.”

“I’m not going to wear pink,” Kiva said in a deadly voice.

“I’m going to wear pink,” Fri said defensively.

Grace decided that she was not getting into the argument and instead asked Fri to show her the dresses she had in mind. Fri showed off the two styles she was debating on, one which was more frilly, and another which reminded Grace of something a genie would wear with lots of translucent layers yet still being modest. Both dresses were in similar shades of soft petal pink.

“Grace! Go pick some so we can try them on! If I have to wait for those two to stop arguing we’ll still be standing here when Barbatos gets back!”

Grace slowly walked along the wall, letting her hand touch the fabrics. She chose three to try, one in a dark blue, one in a red, and the third was black but with sequins. She and Fri headed to the fitting room. Fri took Grace by the hand and led her into a single change room. “Um-“ Grace started to protest.

“I’m going to need your help with my zippers and I don’t want to come out of the fitting room to do it. Please? Don’t make me wander out there half-naked!” Fri pleaded. “Sides, that black one has a corset bodice and I can help you with that.”

“Don’t laugh at me, kay?” Grace asked, very quietly.

“Don’t laugh at me either!” Fri said.

Grace gave a little half-smile. “Do pinky swears count in Devildom?” she asked.

“Pinky swears are binding in all three realms,” Fri answered quite seriously.

Grace held out her pinky, and Fri wrapped hers around it. They both gave a solemn nod, and an unspoken oath that anything seen or said in the fitting room stayed in the fitting room. Even with the pinky swear in effect, Grace still starting changing with her back to Fri. The fitting room was really quiet except for the rustle of the cloth. Grace could still hear Zara and Kiva arguing in the distance. It seemed they had moved on from the topic of pink and now Zara would be satisfied if Kiva wore anything that wasn’t black or charcoal grey.

“Fri, can I ask you a question?” Grace said, as her dress slid to the floor.

“Anything!” Fri said cheerfully.

“Is it rude if I ask about your race? If it is, forget I said anything, but I know what harpies, succubi and sirens are. Never heard of an almiraj and you seem kinda…”

“Harmless?” Fri supplied. “Well, I am a sleep demon so looking harmless helps with that. Though while we aren’t super common in current human mythology, we have crept into a couple of games lately though. Really think about though when white rabbits turn up in stories in lots of stories, most of them inspired by us. My favourite is in Holy Grail. Never underestimate a bunny. Never.” She laughed happily. That joyous tone faded a little when she said the next words. “Okay, zipper time.”

Grace finished sliding the red dress up over her shoulders and turned to help Fri with the zipper. She’d chosen to try the frilly dress first. She twirled in the mirror, and then looked at herself. The longer the demoness stared in the mirror the more dissatisfied she looked with her reflection. “What do you think?” she asked Grace.

“I think you don’t like it,” Grace answered honestly.

Fri frowned at the reflection in the mirror. “I thought it would make me feel cute, but I look like one of those creepy porcelain dolls.” She shook her head. “Nope. Next.”

While Grace stood behind Fri, she thought she saw a pair of glowing eyes under the door of the fitting room. One green and one blue, but when she turned there was nothing there. Grace knelt down and looked out trying to see if anything lurking on the other side. Fri made a questioning sound.

“I thought I saw something,” Grace answered, got back on her feet. “But my mind must be playing tricks on me. Zip mine?”

As Fri helped her out, Grace sighed. Her mind had been playing tricks on her more often recently. While her nightmares had much improved, what was happening now was sometimes worse. Sometimes she would have really vivid dreams about the day she’d had, but they were so real sometimes Grace became confused as to what was the dream and what was the actual memory. It had started with little things, like messing up the time she was supposed to meet Levi online or remembering multiple variations of the book she’d studied for a test. Sometimes it was worse, and she would have two entirely different memories of the same conversation.

Grace wanted to talk to Beel about it, but each time she opened her mouth to try, a feeling of overwhelming dread filled her. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him. He was the only thing she could always tell the difference between real and dream. Whenever the dream version said something cruel or thoughtless, Grace knew in her bones that it wasn’t real. No, it was almost a physical reaction when she tried to speak the words.

She looked at herself in the mirror and tried to put the thoughts of dreams from her mind. Grace looked at the dress and moved side to side in it. She tried to picture dancing with Beel in it. Despite the cut being relatively flattering, she didn’t like how it felt along her thighs and it was a little shorter than she liked.

Fri snorted at her. “I can tell you don’t like that one. Turn around.”

“It’s not that bad,” Grace protested.

“We aren’t shopping for ‘not that bad’. Off with it.” Fri said firmly.

“I second that!” Zara said from the other side of the door. “We aren’t leaving here until each and every one of us looks like fucking goddesses.”

“You two done arguing?” Fri questioned, starting to put on the second dress.

Kiva answered, “Temporary ceasefire. We’re never quite done arguing.”

Grace heard them take the rooms on either side. Apparently, neither of them had any problem coming out to get help fastening their dresses. Of course, Kiva would probably punch anyone that looked at her the wrong way, and Zara was comfortable enough with her body she would likely walk around the shop naked with our thinking twice.

Grace started to put on the black dress. “Hey Fri, you said you were a sleep demon, right? Can sleep demons make dreams so vivid that they feel like real memories?”

“Only really powerful ones, and there aren’t many that skilled. The only ones I know who could do it aren’t in Devildom right now. Why?”

“Something I read in a book. It seemed like such an impossible idea that I didn’t think it could be real.” Grace lied smoothly. It hadn’t hurt to ask. It wasn’t a stretch to think that maybe someone was screwing with her. It would have been nice if the problem had an easy solution. Grave shoved the topic from her mind and focussed on the more important task at hand. She glanced over her shoulder to see how Fri was coming along. “You don’t even have that one all the way on, and you look much happier.”

Fri was already making cute faces at herself in the mirror. “Yeah, this is the one. I feel much much better.” Grace helped her get the dress done up and position some of the thin veil-like layers. “This is the one. Though I’m going to need higher heels or a little tailoring to make this work.”

“No one gets to say ’this is the one’ without me laying eyes on it!” Zara said.

“You’ll have to wait a minute, I’m still getting dressed,” Grace answered with a laugh. If she hadn’t spent months living under the same rough as Asmo, a man who routinely put new clothing, and lingerie in her closet without permission or approval, Grace might have found Zara’s imperious attitude overwhelming. Now it was like every other laundry day.

Grace wasn’t totally unfamiliar with corsets, but she had few reasons to wear them in past, other than that one cousin's wedding, and for that one guy. So, she positioned her breasts where she wanted them and straightened her back, while Fri laced her up. When Fri was done, Grace turned and looked at herself in the mirror for the first time. For a second she didn’t think that was her. The light squinted fabric was in delicate layers, the light striking it sometimes making the sequins shine blue, violet and sometimes orange. The corset shaped her waist and made her breasts, well even Grace with how much she hated her body, couldn’t deny that they looked amazing in this. “Holy shit,” she muttered looking in the mirror. She felt like a princess.

Kiva said with concern, “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to show us.”

“No, that’s a good holy shit, not a bad holy shit.” Zara commented from the other side. Grace heard the door open. “Come on, time for show and tell.”

Grace unlocked the door and stepped out into the hallway. She held her breath. Sure, Grace thought she looked good, but she could be wrong. Zara looked her up and down, not saying a word. In fact, the first words spoken came from Kiva, behind her. “Fuck.”

Grace turned. “It’s that bad?” she asked nervously.

“No, but I can’t wear a black dress now cause you’re gonna steal the show in that one,” Kiva said bluntly. “Bitch.”

“Mission accomplished,” Zara said with a grin when Grace turned back to face her. “Demons will definitely want to see that one hitting the floor. Beel’s gonna have to beat them off with a stick.”

Keva tugged on Grace's arm. “Let’s head back out to the sales floor. I need to pick a different dress, and you are going to need to look at some bling to rest of that rack of yours.”

“Ooh, and we need to get her some shoes too!” Fri chimed in happily. “Which means I can see they’ve got something that will work with mine!”

Grace was hauled back onto the sales floor by her companions, while a lone siamese cat kept a watchful eye.


	24. Like A Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beel patiently - well as patiently as possible- waits for Grace to return.

Beel had intended to wait on the steps, after all, he was a demon of his word. However, between listening to the noise coming from Levi’s room and his stomach rumbling, Beel decided he needed a snack. Keeping his DDD firmly in hand, Beel wandered to the kitchen. 

Mammon had obviously left the door to Levi’s room open just to torment him. Asmo going up to join them hadn’t helped. Asmo had figured a live feed was better than intermittent photo updates. Beel had no interest in listening to Asmo back seat shopping. He seriously didn’t care if that colour was all wrong for Zara, or if an empire waist gown would be better than an a-line.

Opening the freezer, Beel took out a gallon tub of Eye-Scream. It was chocolate, and the eyeballs came in all the colours of the rainbow. He snagged a serving spoon, and a couple of beers, then returned to the entrance hall. Beel glanced at the grandfather clock. Really, it had only been a half-hour since they’d been picked up?

Every time he heard bickering from upstairs, Beel popped an eyeball between his teeth. Eventually, Asmo wandered down the stairs.

“They done already?” Beel asked hopefully.

“No,” Asmo sighed. “But they are in the fitting rooms now, and I can’t see anything.”

Beel popped another eyeball firmly. “You wanted to watch them in the fitting room?” There was a warning tone in his voice.

“Calm down, Beel.” Asmo took a step back to be on the safe side. “I just wanted him to go to the dressing room hallway camera. I wouldn’t have been able to see too much. But, Levi is no fun. You think with all the hentai he watches he’d be more adventurous.” Asmo sighed. “Guess I’m back to waiting on the updates.” He took the final steps and moved to the dining-room door. “She’s going to be fine.”

Beel didn’t even acknowledge the sentiment. He just shoved another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth. They could say it a hundred times, but it wouldn’t stop him from worrying.

The hands moved glacially across the clock face. Beel had finished the tub and both beer, and there was still a half-hour before Barbatos was due to pick them up. He looked at his DDD. There were no messages from her. Beel hoped that meant that she was having lots of fun.

“You seriously gonna be waitin’ at the door?” Mammon asked.

Beel had been so intent on watching the time that he hadn’t heard Mammon descending the stairs. Mammon plopped down a couple steps above him. “Our girl is doing’ fine. Not that its been all smooth sailing, but she’s having fun.”

“What’s gone wrong?” Beel asked.

“One of the sales girls is being a passive-aggressive cunt. Keeps puttin’ away the stuff the gals are looking at away. Some of the customers are givin’ Grace the stink eye but she just pretends to ignore ‘em. Nothing major.” Mammon said.

“Did she find something she likes?” Beel asked, knowing how stressed Grace was about that. 

“She found somethin’ all of us will like,” Mammon answered. “Ya want a hint?”

Beel shook his head. “I’ll keep it a surprise.”

“Ya sure, you don’t even wanna know the colour?” Mammon pressed. 

“No,” Beel said firmly. He pulled his eyes away from the clock, which he swore must be broken cause it wasn’t moving at all now and look over his shoulder at Mammon. “You’re gonna tease me with this all week.” It wasn’t a question, just an acknowledgement of fact. 

“Yup,” Mammon answered, getting to his feet. “Now while you sit here and stare at the door like a good puppy, I’m gonna go to my room and show her how much I trust in her decision and ability to take care of herself. ‘Night, Beel.”

“That would sound more impressive if you hadn’t spent the last hour watching her on CCTV,” Beel called to Mammon’s retreating back.

“She doesn’t know that!” Mammon called back gleefully.

Mammon had only gone up three stairs when Lucifer emerged from his study.

“Mammon!” Lucifer called, emerging from his study.

“Did you rat us out?!” Mammon hissed at Beel, freezing in place.

“No,” Beel replied.

Lucifer stopped in the entryway. “Mammon, I need a word.” Then noticed the empty containers at Beel’s feet. “Beel, are you suffering from vision problems?” he asked.

“Ugh, no?” Beel answered.

“Are you certain? For I can't think of another reason that you would mistake the entrance hall for the dining room or the kitchen.”

Beel swiftly gathered his mess and took it to the kitchen. Something must have upset Lucifer because usually, he wouldn’t comment on it, especially since he knew that Beel always cleaned up after himself. Perhaps it was Barbatos would likely be coming to the door? Beel hoped that was all it was, but his gut told him that something more had triggered his foul mood.

Beel checked his DDD. Still no messages from Grace. Couldn’t be anything that bad, right? She would have messaged him if it was bad. He hurried back to the hall and caught the end of the conversation.

“I didn’t ask you if it would be difficult, Mammon. I asked if it could be done,” Lucifer looked at Mammon. 

“It can be done, but it ain’t gonna be cheap and timing will be tight. Not a lot of room for error,” Mammon answered. “I’ll make some calls. I got the contacts ya need for this situation.” Mammon pulled out his DDD and started walking away. Then he paused, “Ya sure?”

“You think I would ask you if I was not?” Lucifer inquired in a cool tone.

Mammon nodded. “Fair point.” With that, he started dialling a number and climbed the stairs two at a time. Beel looked at Lucifer questioningly. “What’s up? Has something happened?”

Lucifer looked as though he was going to speak, but one of the heavy wooden entrance doors opened. Barbatos was the first to enter, and in his other hand was several large shopping bags. Grace followed behind him. “Thank you, Barbatos, but I could have carried them.” 

“Nonsense. A gentleman would allow no such thing,” the butler replied as he set them on the floor.

Lucifer caught Barbatos’ eye. “A word before you leave?”

“Of course, Lucifer. Good evening, miss,” he said in farewell to Grace, before both he and Lucifer stepped out into the night air.

“What happened?” Beel asked as he looked her over. She looked fine, other than her hair being slightly mussed. 

“Nothing,” Grace said, looking a little confused. “I mean, I bought a dress and shoes, and got to try on all sorts of pretty things I could never imagine wearing.”

Beel looked at the closed door. “Something has Lucifer riled up.”

Grace followed his gaze. “Maybe I went over the budget he set for me? I mean he told me to pick one I liked.” She looked at the bags on the ground with guilt in her eyes. “Maybe that’s why there was a problem at the till.”

“There was a problem at the till?” Beel asked.

“But Barbatos took care of it. He arrived while we were trying to sort it out.” Grace smiled at him, obviously not telling him the whole story.

Lucifer reentered the house. “Good evening Grace,” he greeted. “Let me take care of these.” Lucifer smiled as he gathered the bags in one hand.

“Why does no one think I can carry a few bags?” Grace asked with a huff. “My room one flight of stairs and half a hallway away. It’s not like I’m climbing a mountain or anything.”

“Oh, these are not going to your room,” Lucifer said, his tone declaring that this decision was final. “These will be returned to the store tomorrow.”

Grace’s face fell. “Did I do something wrong? If I did I’m sorry! I’ll take back the shoes! Just please let me keep the dress? Please?”

“No. You did not do anything wrong. However, I made arrangements ahead time, and they were not honoured. There need to be consequences. In this case, the shop loses this sale.”

“But, I really like the dress,” Grace said firmly, reaching for the bag.

“Did you enjoy how they treated you at the till?” Lucifer inquired, arching his eyebrow. “When they claimed that you had no right to charge your purchase to my account?”

“No,” Grace admitted. “But, I thought it was just one salesgirl on a power trip. It’s not the first time or the last time someone has made me feel inferior.” Beel put a hand on her shoulder. Grace reached up and touched it. “Either she was a bitch or someone screwed the paperwork, no need to take it out on a perfectly lovely dress.”

“Grace, it is not right that anyone treats you inferior. Yes, you are human, but you are one of Diavolo’s chosen human students and these little acts of defiance against his will can not be tolerated. More importantly, you are a member of my household, and this is an insult to me. These items are going back. Mammon will be arranging something suitable as a replacement.”

“Mammon?” Beel asked, doubt evident in his voice. Grace elbowed him.

“I understand what you are saying Lucifer,” Grace said.

“Good.” Lucifer turned from her, bags in hand, to return to his study. 

“But-“ Grace continued, raising her voice a little.

“But?” He turned to look at her.

She shrank a little under his gaze but still held his eyes. “But, shouldn’t I have some say in the matter? I feel like you are punishing me. I’m aware that is not your intention, but that’s how I feel.”

Beel was trying to imagine what kind of dress it was that prompted her to be so honest with Lucifer. Though the eldest may not be in the mood to appreciate her candour at the moment. 

“It’s the first thing I’ve worn in a very long time that made me feel beautiful. So, I don’t care that the salesgirl was a bitch. I don’t care that one of the customers literally bought my first choice pair of shoes out from under me. I care that I put that dress on and when I looked at myself in the mirror, I felt like a princess.”

Beel tightened his grip slightly on Grace’s shoulder as they both anxiously awaited his reply.

“A princess you say?” Lucifer repeated her words back to her.

“Yes.”

The corner of his lips twitched upward slightly in a smile. “Then it wasn’t good enough. I repeat you are a member of my house. The gown you wear should make you feel like a queen.” Lucifer walked into his study and shut the door without another word.

“Well damn,” Grace said with a sigh. “The night had been going so well until now.”

“Is there anything I can do to make it better?” Beel asked.

“Actually…” There was a playful tone to her voice as she pushed his hand off her shoulder. Grace turned to face him, and stood up on her toes, linking her hands behind his neck. Grace tugged his head down lower, and softly kissed him. 

To say Beel was surprised was an understatement. The only time their lips had ever met was when they had finalized their pact. He hadn’t imagined-no that was a lie-he’d imagined her kissing him, but Beel hadn’t expected her to. 

So when she kissed him, and it was a proper kiss, not a quick affectionate peck, Beel was stunned. Her lips were so soft, yet so firm. Grace lightly sucked on his lower lip when she pulled away. “I’ve been wanting to do that most of the night,” Grace said with a faint blush. She looked away from his face.

Beel cleared his throat. “Going out with the girls made you want to do that?” He paused, then continued speaking, his eyes twinkling. “I think I might need to revisit my position on girl’s night.” Grace giggled but he continued. “I think you should schedule them much, much more often.”

“Nah, that would just cut too much into cuddling time,” Grace said. “Speaking of which, you make the popcorn and I’ll shower and meet you in your room?”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Beel answered.

Grace’s smile widened. “See you soon.” There was a happy spring in her step as she made her way up to her room. He wasn’t sure exactly what happened with her friends tonight, but whatever it was Beel wholeheartedly approved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An apology for missing two consecutive days. While I know I don't have to post daily, I feel best when I do. However a cluster of bad migraines hit. So after a slightly longer than normal delay, I hope you enjoy the new chapter.


	25. Schedule An Appointment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What should be a lazy morning filled with cuddling and sleeping in is interrupted by Mammon.

Sometimes Grace felt waking up in the morning in Beel’s bed was like playing chicken. Even if they were both awake, neither wanted to move to say something that might disturb the other. Grace would often lay nestled into his side, head on his chest and contently listen to his heartbeat as long as possible. Most mornings, it was Beel’s stomach that would decide when it was time to get up, though he had taken to keeping extra snacks handy so that it didn’t necessarily mean they were going downstairs.

Grace heard a door slam in the hallway and reluctantly opened her eyes. While it wasn’t a guarantee that it was Mammon, the odds were that it was him and that he’d be at Beel’s door shortly. Grace reached behind her back for a pillow and handed it to Beel. Then she grabbed one for herself.

Sure enough, without even a warning knock, Mammon swung open the door. Grace threw her pillow first knowing that he’d dodge that, but likely get hit but the much more impactful throw from Beel. Mammon grinned as he easily stepped aside from her toss, but Grace assumed that grin was wiped off his face when Beel’s projectile hit him squarely in the face.

“Ouch!” Mammon complained. “What was that for?”

“Waking us up or not knocking,” Beel answered. “Take your pick.”

“She’s got her DDD off!” Mammon declared as though that excused everything.

“Couldn’t it wait?” Grace asked.

“Would I have come in if it could?” Mammon asked.

“YES.” The answer came simultaneously from both Beel and Grace.

“Point,” Mammon acknowledged. “But this time it actually can’t wait. You gotta get up, we’ve got a meeting in an hour.”

“What?” Grace asked, confused.

“And ya better be showered, shaved, the whole nine yards!” Mammon continued, not answering the question.

“I think I’d remember if I had a meeting that required personal grooming,” Grace replied after yawning. “I also wouldn’t have scheduled one on a morning I can actually sleep in.”

“If ya had left your DDD on, you would have had more notice,” Mammon replied. “Come on, out of bed!”

“But it conflicts with my regularly scheduled appointment to roll back over and go back to sleep for at least fifteen more minutes.” Despite knowing she probably wasn’t getting out of whatever Mammon had planned, Grace was still going to drag her heels about it.

Beel nodded. “If you want Grace on a weekend morning you have to schedule at least three weeks in advance. It’s hard enough for me to get on her calendar we Levi hogging all the good dates, and I’ve got a pact with her.”

Grace noticed that Beel liked to remind Mammon of that fact whenever it was possible to throw it somewhat casually into the conversation. Or, when he was annoyed with Mammon, just shoehorn the fact into any sentence.

Mammon was getting impatient, and looked like he was going to tug the blanket off the bed. One stern look from Beel made him change his mind and his tactics. “Grace, it’s about the dress.”

“Do not talk about the dress. The Dress is now considered a taboo subject. I’m still extremely bitter about Lucifer’s decision.” Honestly, bitter was putting it mildly. While she understood why he made that choice, it still infuriated her. Grace sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes. “I’m thinking of hawking the limited-edition statue that I have and Levi missed out on, to him. Then go buy the damn thing myself. It wouldn’t be Lucifer’s damn money anymore.”

“You don’t have to do that!” Beel protested.

“At least wait until after the meeting and if ya don’t like whatcha hear, then we get you the-“ Grace’s glare stopped Mammon from uttering the forbidden word. “The thing ya wanted. I pulled some strings and tossed Lucifer’s name around, and I’ve got ya a meeting with one of the designers I work with.”

Grace blinked at him. She understood all the words, but the whole idea was a foreign concept to her. “What?”

“Lucifer wanted to make a big splashy point not ta screw with him, or you. We’re gonna get ya dolled up in something custom. That is if ya get yer lazy ass out of my brother’s bed in time to at the very least run a comb through that mop and put on somethin’ decent.”

Grace still just stared at him. Had Mammon lost his mind? He did what? Grace was flattered. She could only imagine the string-pulling and persuading Mammon had done to make this happen in less than twelve hours. But, and the most important but, Grace was barely comfortable with Beel seeing parts of her body. The idea of some stranger, probably taking measurements was almost panic-inducing. Even if they were a professional and used to looking at bodies, the bodies they that designer looked at were probably all perfect like well…Mammon. Grace closed her eyes and silently shook her head.

“Grace?” Beel asked, with a note of concern. It made her smile. Poor guy was getting awfully familiar with her body issues.

“I’m thinking,” Grace replied.

“What’s there ta think about?” Mammon asked.

“Just give me a minute.” Her voice was firm. “If you can’t, then leave now cause I won’t be going.”

She took a deep breath and started to work through her thoughts.

Remember what Zara said. Stop thinking in human. Demons come in all shapes and sizes. Whoever the designer is, they’ll have practice making anyone look good. And if they don’t think they can make me look good, they won’t take the job. If they don’t, that’s okay, I can buy the dress. Okay, if I totally gouge Levi on the statue, I can buy the dress. If they had a problem with me being human, they wouldn’t have accepted the meeting. Mammon wouldn’t take me there if he didn’t trust them. He wouldn’t look so excited if he thought this would go wrong. It would be a once in a lifetime experience. A custom dress? But maybe I don’t deserve a custom dress? No. Stop that. It’s a gift. You don’t say no to gifts.

Grace opened her eyes and smiled. “Thank you, Mammon.” That was the proper response when someone gave you a gift. “I’ll meet you downstairs in fifteen minutes.”

Mammon looked suspicious. Grace couldn’t blame him. He probably expected more of a fight, and judging from the look on Beel’s face, so did he. “Okay, then. Can you shower in fifteen minutes?”

“I showered last night, and before you ask, and you really shouldn’t ask, I should be groomed well enough for anything I’m going to let a complete stranger see.”

Mammon beamed. Seeing him look so happy, made Grace’s smile grow. “Then, I should see if I can wrangle some coffee for ya then, cause yer a total bitch without coffee and I don’t need ya embarrassin’ me in front of someone that signs my checks.”

“Grace doesn’t need to embarrass you,” Beel said. “You do that just by showing up to work and opening your mouth.”

“Be nice,” Grace chastised. “He offered to get me coffee. If he doesn’t deliver on it, then you can harass him.”

“I’ve been harassing him for centuries. You can’t go putting rules on it now,” Beel complained.

Mammon sighed and gave them a slightly envious look. “I’ll see you downstairs in thirteen minutes.” He quickly left the room.

Grace flopped back onto the bed and then rolled toward Beel. “Raincheck on the cuddles?” she asked. Grace had really been looking forward to this morning.

“You really need to ask?”

Grace leaned over and kissed him. It was still new and still exciting to her. Exciting and scary. The last person she had trusted as much as she trusted Beel, had left her broken. It had taken a long time to put the pieces together and Grace was sure a few of them got lost along the way, cause she had lots of jagged edges. Even though she was always a little scared each time she kissed him when she felt him respond in kind made it worth it. Each kiss was a little miracle as far as she was concerned.

Several kisses later, and slightly out of breath, Grace pulled away. “You are going to make me late,” she admonished.

“Have to admit, I don’t really care.” Beel cupped her face with one hand, then slid it into her hair. He gently tugged her back, and for the first time, he was the one that initiated the kiss. Grace’s heart just stopped for a long moment, but when it started again, she pressed for more. Grace didn’t know which of them opened their mouths first, pushing the kiss from gentle to hungry, but it didn’t matter. She knew that at that moment, they were totally on the same page.

Grace very, very reluctantly pulled back. Beel looked at her a little nervously, worried that she was okay. Not knowing what to say, Grace resorted to her tried and true defence mechanism. “You never answered my question about the rain check?”

“Yes!” Beel said, rolling away.

Her first instinct was to assume that he was turning away because he was ashamed of what happened, but she sternly told herself it was probably so that he wouldn’t be tempted to make her any later than she was going to be.

Grace crawled out of the covers and slid down to the end of the bed to get up. Nearly crushing the cat she hadn’t known had been sleeping at her feet. “I’ll be late, cause I got plans with Levi tonight. That okay?”

“Or I could just watch you play?” Beel offered.

“I see, you just want to listen to me talk dirty,” Grace joked, looking for her slippers. Grace knew that her vocabulary while not pristine at the best of time was just foul when gaming.

“Why did you have to put it that way?” Beel groaned. “I do not need to picture you talking dirty to Levi!”

“So you don’t want to hear me command him to bring his big sword up the rear?” Grace asked.

Beel lightly chucked a pillow at her. “Not funny.” The amusement in his voice was clearly at odds with his words.

"You're right Beel, that isn't funny. His avatar doesn't even wield a sword." Grace said in a somewhat apologetic voice. Then with a wicked twinkle in her eye, she continued. "His current build has him using a rod. A Big. Massive. Rod."

Beel laughed, despite himself. “Okay, I really need to know. What sort of voodoo magic happened at girl’s night? I’m seeing a very different side of you since you got back. You weren't body swapped or anything were you?"

Grace walked over and picked up her DDD from his bedside table. “Zara just put some things into perspective for me. Made me see some things in a different light.” She leaned down and gave him one more gentle kiss, not leaving any opening for it to be more. “See you later.”

“Should I be worried? That you are taking advice from a succubus?” Beel called after her.

“Worried or excited,” Grace replied, teasingly. “It’s your call.”

She left the room, with only seven minutes left to make herself presentable for a fashion designer. Fuck. She was going to be late.


	26. Meeting the Designer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mammon takes Grace to meet a demonic fashion designer.

On the drive, Mammon could see how nervous Grace was. The way she was drumming her fingers on her leg and staring out the window with slightly unfocused eyes. Not to mention that she was chewing that lip again. Mammon had no idea how it wasn’t a bloody stump with how often she worried it when she was feeling emotional. He wondered if she had always had these tells, and he hadn’t noticed, or if it's been just recently begun to let her guard down enough that they showed.

Mammon knew he should tell her not to worry. He should reassure her that everything was going to be fine. Of course, the designer was going to love her, only stupid assholes didn’t like her. Instead, all Mammon could do was brag about his car and how he won it in a poker game. Then he started talking about working for Denetri, the designer, last season and how he had modelled the key piece from that collection.

He had always found it hard to express what he wanted to say to Grace. It had only gotten worse since that disastrous encounter in the kitchen. Mammon knew that he had said the wrong words, but it didn’t change that he had tried to express how he had felt. Grace’s reaction had hurt. He wished he could fix things, and make them the way they were before. But, since he couldn’t Mammon tried to convince himself he was just happy to be around her.

It wasn’t working well. Especially not when Mammon saw how she was with Beel. She had a different smile with him. One that was a little more carefree. If he was honest, Mammon wasn’t the least bit sad that to interrupt their cozy morning. It might make him a shitty brother, but hell, they all thought he was a worthless loser anyway, so what was one more black mark against his name?

Denetri’s workshop was on the outskirts of Devildom’s largest city. It wasn’t a storefront, this was where the demon designer and his wives actually worked. It wasn’t flashy. Mammon could see that Grace was a little surprised when they pulled up in front of the unassuming building.

Mammon smiled as he got out of the car. Grace was going to be in for quite a few surprises today. He was going to enjoy showing off this part of his life. Mammon opened the door for Grace and offered her his hand.

“Too late to change my mind?” Grace asked as she reached out and took it.

“Far too late for that, darlin’” Mammon replied. 

Grace stood, and smoothed down her dress nervously.

“Quit fussin’! I would have told ya before we left the house if you were wearin’ somethin’ embarrassing. Considering you got ready in ten minutes ya managed to be at least presentable.” 

Grace looked more than presentable. The dress was cute, an expresso colour with a lighter brown pattern that matched her hair. She’s pulled her hair back into a simple ponytail and managed to still apply some light makeup. If he had one complaint to make it was that she had chosen to wear flats, but Mammon was sure if Denetri needed to see her in something else, there would be a sample heel in the shop.

Mammon knocked on the door. It was opened immediately by Jiana, the youngest wife. She was about the same height as Grace, but very slender and almost frail-looking. “Hey, Mammon. He said you were dropping by.” She opened the door wider for them. “You must be the human?”

“I prefer to go by Grace if you don’t mind?”

“Right, sorry, where are my manners?” 

“You don’t have any!” A grumpy sounding voice called from the back. “I don’t know why I married you.”

“The sex was great and Anaxi likes me,” Jiana clapped back. 

Grace glanced nervously toward the workroom.

“Don’t worry, his bark is worse than his bite. Trust me, I’ve had enough of both to know.” The demoness laughed. “As you can hear, he’s in the workroom. Coffee?”

“She takes black too,” Mammon answered, leading Grace down the hallway. He lowered his voice. “She is right. His bark is much worse than his bite.”

“Worst that can happen is that he’ll take one look at me and say no, right?” Grace said with a smile. She tried to make it sound like a joke, but Mammon heard the truth of her fear in it.

“Nah, worst thing that could happen is that he’d offer to make ya his next wife,” Mammon said loud enough to be overheard. “I hear tell that’s a fate worse than death.”

“Shut your trap, Mammon. I pay you to look pretty not to talk.”

Mammon stepped into the room and grinned. “Don’t forget, this time we’re paying you.”

The workroom was huge, and at first glance might seem to be in complete disarray. One corner had a pair of worn old couches with a glass coffee table between them. There were adjustable mannequins, wearing different garments in varying stages of completion. Along one wall were bolts of fabric, and in front of that long tables for cutting it. The sewing machines were tucked out of sight, behind a partition.

“Out of the way, let me see the girl!” Denetri rose from the tall chair he was sitting on. There was a row of bright lights above the worktable he had been seated at and sketches pinned to the wall. The demon was short for a demon, actually a little shorter than Grace. He was thick in the body though he wasn’t pudgy, just solid. He had steel grey hair and piercing blue eyes that were framed by thick round glasses.

Grace stepped out from behind Mammon, and extended her hand to the demon. “Good morning, sir. My name is Grace. Thank you for making time to see me on such short notice.”

“You see Mammon? That is what manners look like.” Denetri looked at Grace, his eyes taking in everything from her height and build, to her posture. His tone gentled a bit as he continued talking. It was as Mammon had hoped. The designer could be fierce and as harsh as a storm, but he could also be as soft as a gentle rain when he needed to be. “Now, come sit. Tell me about this dress, the one Lucifer didn’t think was good enough.” He led the way to the couches. Mammon sat as he usually did, sprawling over two-thirds of it, draping his arms along the back of the furniture. Grace sat next to him, on one while Denetri sat kitty-corner to them on the other.

“There was nothing wrong with the dress!” Grace protested in an exasperated voice. “Lucifer was just unhappy that they disrespected him. The dress was beautiful. There really was no need to trouble you with this. I’m sure you are far too busy for this.”

Mammon heard her say the word busy but knew she meant important. Grace didn’t think she was worthy of his time. “They disrespected you,” he added to her explanation. Mammon knew she didn’t consider that part important, but it was important to him.

“No one should have to wear something that reminds them of being made to feel small,” the designer argued. “Clothing is more than the cloth it is made of. It is emotion. It holds memories. No. You don’t need that dress.” 

“Can I quote you on that?” Grace asked. “It sounds like a winning argument to abolish the RAD uniform because I have some feelings about that garment.”

Denture chuckled. “Even I won’t cross our Lord Diavolo on that particular matter. Now, tell me about the dress.”

Grace started talking, describing starting first by describing its colour.

“That’s not important yet. Tell me about how it made you feel.”

Mammon relaxed into the couch and just listened with a smile. The old man never touched a sketch pad, but Mammon could see him translating everything Grace said into the design he would create. Denetri watched her body language as she spoke, what words made her eyes sparkle, and what sentences made her pause and hesitate. Sometimes she would go quiet and lean back almost into Mammon’s arm when she needed to think about an answer. It would tempt him to shift his arm from the back of the couch and place it around her shoulders. He never gave in to that temptation. 

Jiana came in with the coffees, setting down Grace’s and her husband’s on the table. They were so engrossed in the conversation, that they barely noticed. She offered Mammon him, and he took it with the hand that wasn’t resting on the back of the couch. She sat down on the arm of the couch and listened in.

After about another twenty minutes of conversation, Denetri nodded his head with authority. “I think we are ready to move on to measurements.” He shifted his gaze from Grace to Jiana, “Go get Anaxi.”

“Why?” Jiana complained. “I’m right here and I can do it for you.”

“I want it done right, that’s why,” he said firmly.

Mammon was pretty sure that wasn’t the reason. The old man was good at reading people and probably had pegged most of Grace’s sensitivities. Denetri wasn’t taking the measurements personally because he sensed that she was uncomfortable with men. Just like he was calling for Anaxi because she wasn’t as tiny and delicate as Jiana, and would less likely make Grace more insecure.

Jiana made a face, took her time gathering the now empty cups and then left to do as he asked.

“While we wait, let me look at you in some different height shoes,” Denetri said. “What are you comfortable wearing?”

“I can walk in pretty much anything, but for most wear, I like two inches or less. There is dancing so I probably wouldn’t want to be in six-inch heels all night,” Grace said candidly. “No stilettos! I need more support than that and I look like a deer just learning to walk when I wear them. Don’t know how Asmo makes that look effortless.”

“Come, let's try on some styles.” He rose from the couch and walked to a corner of the room. He pulled over a rolling ladder and started looking at shoes stored in their boxes on a tall shelf.

Grace leaned back into the sofa and covered a yawn.

“Maybe ya should stop sleepin’ with Beel if he doesn’t let ya get enough sleep,” Mammon commented without thinking. It was all he could do not to wince. That didn’t come out exactly how he meant it. Ok, he did mean she should stop sleeping with Beel period, but he had been trying to say she needed to get better rest.

Grace looked at him and rolled her eyes. “Not that its any of your business but those are the only nights I get solid sleep, thanks.”

“Still havin’ nightmares?” Mammon asked. Grace hadn’t complained about them in a while, but that really didn’t mean much.

“Yeah,” Grace answered, after a pause. “And other strange dreams too. The tea helps, at least I don’t wake up every hour, but I don’t feel rested, you know? This weekend was already pretty full. With club today, and then I promised Satan we’d do that test thing tomorrow. Oh, and that event with Levi tonight.”

“So, blow Levi off! Problem solved. Go ta sleep early, and be ready for that magic thing with Satan.” Mammon said.

“No. I really like playing, and with the shopping yesterday I missed our normal game night.” 

“So, blow off Satan tomorrow, and spend the day in bed!” Mammon suggested next.

“I’ve put this off for two weeks now, and I don’t want to let him down,” Grace replied with a sigh. “Would you like it if I had plans with you, and I kept blowing you off?”

“I don’t remember what it was like to have plans with ya, its been a while,” Mammon complained. Grace reacted with a wince, so continued in a softer voice. “But, if ya needed the rest and had to take care of yerself, I’d understand.”

“I call bluff,” Grace muttered.

“Okay, girl!” Denetri called, setting a stack of boxes down on a cutting table. “Let’s see which style suits you best.”

Grace rose from the couch and walked over to the designer. Mammon glanced down at his DDD. Well, if she didn’t want to disappoint any of the brothers, then there was one thing she could cancel. Or he could just save her the moral dilemma and do it for her. Mammon smiled mischievously and started sending out a few messages. No one had to know exactly how long this meeting here was going to take, and Mammon was sure a good girl like Fri would have a complete list of the whole club and their contact info. 

By the time Denetri had chosen the type of shoe that he thought looked best with what he had in mind and his seven-foot-tall wife with large curled horns had come to take Grace’s measurement, Mammon had managed to cancel the meeting entirely. 

As much as he would have liked to have sneaked a peek, the measurements took place behind one of the modesty screens. He still enjoyed watching her backlit silhouette though.

Mammon allowed himself a few minutes of that indulgence before walking over to Denetri, who was now sitting back down at the workbench. “So, ya think you can get it done in time?”

“I can, but it's gonna be tight. We knew that before.” The designer picker up a pencil and started to draw. Mammon leaned on the bench and looked across the room at the wall of fabric. He knew the demon didn’t like people watching him work, at least not in that stage of it. “You’re gonna take care of shoes, accessories, hair and make-up right?”

“As long as you keep me in the loop with what she’s gonna need,” Mammon replied. “Zara has all the girls’ booked for hair, makeup, mani and pedi the afternoon of.”

“Didn’t know Zara was back from the Mortal Realm. I like her. Her contact info the same?”

Mammon nodded, then realized Denetri was sketching and couldn’t see him move, “Yup.”

“You’ll need to stop in. Need to make sure you match.”

Mammon frowned. “Beel. He’ll need to stop in.”

“I thought she was ‘your’ human?” the old man said, pausing in his drawing.

“She is,” Mammon replied. He had meant every word he’d said in the kitchen to Grace. She would always be his human. Nothing she did would change that. “But I ain’t her demon.”

“But you want to be?”

“Never said that.” Mammon kept his voice nonchalant. “Just taking care of her like I was asked. That’s all.”

The old man snorted and turned on his stool to look at Mammon. “Who do you think you are fooling, boy? You might not say it in words, but you proclaim it with your actions. What’s the problem?”

“She picked Beel,” Mammon said.

“You’re gonna let a little thing like that stop you? You are not the demon I thought you were.” The designer made a dismissive noise.

“I’m not gonna fight my brother for her,” Mammon said. “She wouldn’t like that.”

“Who said anything about fighting?” Denetri’s eyes landed on Anaxi who had said something that made Grace laugh. “There are benefits to sharing.”

“I don’t like to share,” Mammon said quietly. “It goes against my nature.”

“Your loss then, but remember humans are like fireflies. They burn bright and then they are gone.” The demon designer’s eyes turned sad. “You’ve only got one chance with this one. You gonna regret it if you don’t take it?”

Mammon didn’t answer. He knew the answer, but he didn’t think that knowing it would change anything. He was the Avatar of Greed and craved all her time, all her attention.

Grace emerged from behind the screen, fully dressed. “What else do you need?” she asked Denetri.

“Nothing else today,” he answered. “I’ll keep in touch with Mammon, and if I need something I’ll let him know.”

“I’m not your personal answering service!” Mammon protested. He didn’t mind in the slightest having extra reasons to talk to her, but he had to keep up appearances. 

“Since you called in the favour, you are whatever I want you to be,” Denetri said firmly.

“Whatever,” Mammon grumbled.

Grace approached Denetri and lowered her head to him. “Thank you for this. I’m sorry to be such an inconvenience.” 

“Don’t worry about it girl. Trust me, I’m getting well compensated for this.” Denetri hopped down from the stool. “It’s going to be an absolute pleasure to make this dress.” He took Grace’s hand and kissed it. “You are not at all an inconvenience.”

“Get yer grubby mitts off her, ya got three wives go paw one of them!” Mammon grumped.

“Good luck with this one, Grace. He’s a handful,” Denetri said.

Grace walked over and took Mammon’s arm. “Don’t worry, like you his bark is worse than his bite.”

“I ain’t never bit ya so you don’t know that!” Mammon protested.

“Fine!” Grace sighed in exasperation and then amended. “I suspect his bark is worse than his bite.”

“Off with you two! Flirt on your own time!” Denetri said with a wave. “I’ve got work to do.”

Anaxi sighed. “Let me show you out since my husband seems to have used up his daily allotment of manners.” She led them out of the workroom. “He’ll be a beast to talk to for the rest of the day. He’s always like that when he starts a new project. You two got plans?”

“Some classmates are coming over in a bit and we will be testing out some recipes. Mammon will have to show me what recipe he picked for the Bladed Frog Scales.” Grace answered.

“You’re training him to cook? Smart girl,” the tall demoness nodded in approval. She opened the door for them. “You have a good afternoon.”

Grace glanced at her DDD, and her eyes widened at the time. “And we better get going, because I need to do the set-up. Thank you all, again.”

Once they were in the car, Mammon looked at Grace. “I thought it was the Bitter Leather Bark today?”

Grace’s face fell, and she blinked a couple times. She smiled, but Mammon knew that smile. That was the one she wore when she needed to convince someone else that everything was okay. “You’re right. I told you I’m tired. Just got my weeks mixed up.”

Mammon started the car, “Guess its a good thing I cancelled the club meeting today, then. You’ve got time for a nap.”

“Excuse me! You did what?!” Grace questioned.

“Ya heard me, and remember, I’m driving so no hittin’,” Mammon replied.

“Mammon!” Grace shouted.

“Also, no yellin’!”

Grace ignored that stipulation as she continued. “Why would you do that?!”

“Truth? Cause yer too stubborn and don’t wanna disappoint anyone,” Mammon answered.

“That’s my choice!”

“And ya woulda made the wrong one,” Mammon countered, doing his best to keep his voice level. It wasn’t like he wasn’t expecting this reaction. “There’s no fallout from this other than maybe you having’ bruised pride from not being superhuman.”

“But-“Grace stopped and went quiet. She looked out the window for a few minutes. “You might be right, but you went about it wrong.”

“You must be hurtin’ worse than I thought if yer admitting that,” Mammon said.

“Quit while you’re ahead, Mammon,” Grace said, glancing back at him.

Mammon’s smile was more than a little smug as they drove home.


	27. Afternoon Nap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace takes Mammon's advice and has an afternoon nap, which is of great interest to the demon in the attic

Belphegor was getting more and more frustrated by the day. Things with the human were progressing in ways that disturbed him. The pact was bad enough, but the human was crawling her way both into Beel’s bed and his heart. However, as badly as he needed her gone, Belphegor had realized that his original plan had been flawed.

While it would have been satisfying to lure her to his door in the middle of the night and choke the life from her body with his own two hands, it was the wrong move. Upon reflection, Belphegor had come to the conclusion that Beel finding her body in front of his prison might dampen their reunion. It didn’t change the fact that the human had to go, but it would be better if it would be by accident or by her own hand.

That was when he had moved to a longer game. A much more subtle approach. Now he no longer woke her in the night screaming with terror. No, with enough time, her days would become torment enough. Dreams as potent and as vivid as her actual memories. Grace would doubt her own sanity and the intentions of the demons around her. He had done it before, and it had always worked.

Normally, he would have never been able to accomplish it as bound as he was in Lucifer’s cell, but experimentation and creativity gave him a solution to that problem. It wasn’t as though Belphegor had much to do in the attic besides sleep and think. Using his own twin link to Beel, Belphegor had exploited the pact bond between his twin and the human. He was careful never to do it when they slept together, which was becoming a more and more frequent event. He didn’t want Beel to notice his tampering.

While he gave the human credit for being strong-willed, the cracks were starting to show. Little mistakes were starting to compound into larger ones. Her stubborn need to show no weakness kept her from confiding from most of his siblings, and a repeated suggestion in her subconscious stopped her from confiding in Beel.

This afternoon, Belphegor found himself presented with an extra opportunity to put pressure on those cracks and widen them. The house was nearly empty. Four of his brothers were out of the house. Beel was out for a run. Lucifer was working in his office at RAD, as he had expected the house to be full of lesser demons for the club meeting. Asmo was out having a spa afternoon, getting ready for a night on the town. While Mammon, suddenly with time on his hands had decided to go shopping. That left just the human, Satan and Levi. Both of those brothers were engrossed in their favourite pastimes, one in the library and the other in his room.

Grace had laid down for a nap, just as Mammon had suggested she do. Belphegor waited while she shifted, rolled over and turned, trying to get comfortable. One of the cats joined her, and its purring seemed to help lull her to sleep. Even without his interference, her dreams were rarely pleasant. It took very little effort to darken them further, make the memory of teeth ripping her flesh even more visceral.

The human woke with a scream and clutched at her shoulder, which now only bore the faintest of scars. The cat butted its head against her free hand, demanding attention, and pulling focus away from the lingering terror that made her heart pound. Normally, that would annoy Belphegor, but the nightmare was opening acting one, not the main event.

Now, little human, what do you do when you have one of those nightmares? Grace rose from her bed. Yes, that’s right. You go and make some of that tea. The one that lets you sleep longer. In a half tranced state, he watched her wander down from her room to the kitchen.

She put water on to boil and grabbed down the mortar and pestle. With anticipation, he watched her reach into the cupboard and hesitate before taking down the container of leaves. This was one of the things he had been working on the longest. The red jar held the Fork Leaves that she normally made her tea with. The green jar held Eldar Rowan Leaves, which happened to be toxic to humans. Due to his work, she had memories of using both jars to make the tea.

Tired and distracted from the nightmare, her hand found the wrong jar. Belphegor smiled, trying not to get his hopes up. There were too many ways that she could yet catch her mistake. The leaves were similar in colour but different in shape. But, she tossed a handful into the mortar and started crushing them without barely a second glance. It was something she did daily, almost without thought. His excitement grew as the visible difference was slowly crushed away.

She transferred them into the cup and poured on the boiling water. The Fork Leaves smelled unpleasant, but the Eldar Rowan leaves had almost no scent. The human could yet notice that. Yet, as the tea steeped, she drained the kettle and set it aside. Perhaps after weeks of drinking the stuff, she no longer noticed the scent of it?

He held his breath, as he saw her hand reach toward the cup. Would he be lucky enough that today would be the day he would be rid of her? Time seemed to slow for him, as her fingers drew nearer and nearer to the handle.

A cat hissed and jumped on the counter. It clawed her hand, making her withdraw her fingers. Grace swore at the feline, but it ignored her and knocked the cup from the counter. It shattered on the floor.

Belphie screamed with rage in his prison.


	28. Broken Teacup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace deals with the fall out from grabbing the wrong leaves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, warning time. On the surface it looks like she attempted suicide, plus she thinks she may be going mad. This are dark topics so be forewarned.

“Player Two!” Grace shouted at the cat. “What the fuck?!”

Blood was welling from the four deep scratches and it hurt like a son of a bitch. Grace grabbed a tea towel and wrapped it tightly around the hand. She knelt down to start picking up the broken pieces of the cup. As she rose, her eyes caught on the container still on the counter. The green container.

Grace looked from it, and down to the floor, where the tea was still pooled. The tea that should have been irritating her with its pungent odour. The shards of ceramic dropped to the ground again, as she put together what had almost just happened. Suddenly, she felt sick to her very core.

She stumbled over to the sink and emptied the contents of her stomach. Not once, or twice, but until there was nothing left at all. When she was done, Grace still stood there her breath coming in shaky pants.

A bottle of water appeared by her side, the cap already loosened. Grace’s shoulders’ jumped. She hadn’t heard anyone come in. Grace tried to put some sort of smile on her face but found it an impossible task. Not ready to turn around, she turned on the tap and washed the vomit down the sink. Grace wasn’t sure she could speak yet. She didn’t have the words for what she feared was happening to her and even if she did, Grace wouldn’t be able to say them out loud.

The demon behind her moved, and she was aware of him leaning down to clean up the mess on the floor. It had to be Satan, most of the others would have spoken by now. Even knowing who was there, it didn’t make her want to turn around. She could hear the clatter as he dumped the remains in the trash.

“Grace?” he called her name softly. “Why don’t you sit down?”

Sit down? That was the last thing she wanted to do. She wanted to run, to flee the scene of the crime. To get away from the evidence that suggested that she was losing her mind.

When she didn’t answer, Satan firmly, but gently, guided her to a chair. When she didn’t automatically sit, he put pressure on her shoulder to encourage her to. Grace obeyed his not subtle prompting and sat down. He took the lid off the bottle of water and pressed it into her uninjured hand. Satan wrapped her fingers around it when she didn’t even try to grip the bottle.

Grace didn’t even look up at him. Her eyes were now glued to the spot on the floor where the cup had crashed. While the fact she almost drank poison horrified her, it was a series of what if’s that plagued her more. They trusted her to cook for them. She made snacks for Beel. The idea of hurting the brothers would have made her retch again if there was anything at all left in her stomach.

Satan came back and unwrapped the towel from her hand. “We don’t want this to get infected, do we?” While Satan cleaned the scratches, Grace felt a head butt against her shoulder. She slowly moved her head and saw that Player Two was standing on the kitchen table.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” she said in apology to the feline.

The cat purred and rubbed itself against her.

“Can you tell me why you tried to hurt yourself, Grace?” Satan asked, not looking up from caring for her wounds. There was something in his voice at that moment that terrified her. It was still soft, but she could feel the anger behind it. It felt at odds with the meticulous way he was tending to her wounds.

The bottle of water tumbled from her hands. Did Satan think she had tried to kill herself? Her voice shook as she answered him. “That isn’t what happened.”

“The evidence says otherwise,” Satan replied with a pointed glance at the garbage can. His voice was still scary. It made her want to pull away from his touch. More than that, it made her want to run. Run and hide.

“It was an accident,” her voice was barely above a whisper.

“Grace,” his voice was now full of disappointment. “Please don’t insult me by lying.”

“I’m not lying,” Grace said, tears welling in her eyes. She swallowed and willed a little strength into her voice. “I didn’t try to kill myself.”

“Then why did you brew yourself a cup of poisonous tea?” He asked, wrapping gauze around her hand. “Do you still hate it here that much?” He put pressure on one of the scratches and he taped the gauze in place. “Do you hate us that much?”

“Satan, that hurts,” Grace protested.

“Hurts less than the Eldar Rowan would have. Do you need me to tell you what that would have done to your body?” Satan asked.

“No,” Grace said quietly. “I know what it would have done.”

“Then why did you choose it?” Satan demanded.

“I didn’t!” Grace cried out. “I didn’t choose it! I wasn’t trying to kill myself!” With each sentence, her voice grew louder. “If I did there are five better ways to do it in the cupboard and three in the fridge!” Grace clamped a hand over her mouth. Those last words were something she should never have given voice to.

There was silence. When the silence finally broke, it wasn’t by either Grace or Satan. The silence was shattered by the kitchen door swinging shut.

“What is happening in here?” Beel said quietly.

No. Grace moved the hand from her mouth and hid her whole face in it. This couldn’t be happening. Please let all of this be another nightmare. However, it was all too real. She could feel Beel drawing closer.

When neither of them immediately answered his question, Beel repeated himself. “I asked, what is happening in here?”

“Grace, why don’t you tell Beel why you brewed yourself a cup of Eldar Rowan tea?” Satan asked.

Beel had been the one to teach her most of what she knew about the unique flora and fauna of Devildom. She knew that he was well aware of what that meant. What those leaves would have done to her body.

“I didn’t mean to,” Grace repeated. “I grabbed the wrong jar. I swear, I just grabbed the wrong jar.”

“Satan, can’t you see she is scared?” Beel said softly. He moved the hand Grace was using to cover her face. “Come on, open your eyes. It’s okay.”

Grace gave a desperate little laugh. “No. It’s not okay! He thinks I was trying to kill myself!”

“Were you?” Beel asked. His voice was barely more than a whisper but heavy with fear and sorrow.

“No!” Grace felt the tears slid down her face. Didn’t he believe in her? She needed him to believe her. If Beel didn’t believe in her, no one would. “I thought I was making the stupid tea that helps me sleep!”

She felt his large hands softly cup her face, and a heartbeat later his forehead rested on hers. “Shh… Calm down. Tell me exactly what happened.”

So Grace took a deep breath and slowly started telling him what had happened since she woke from the nightmare. When she got to the part when she had looked at the cupboard and was confused, Grace paused. He needed to know that she hadn’t done this on purpose. Grace needed Beel to be able to hear what happened, but she still felt like the words were sticking in her throat trying to choke her.

“Grace?”

“I’m trying. I swear I’m trying!” Grace gasped in frustration. “When I try to tell you the words don’t come out.”

One of his hands moved to stroke her hair. There was silence was a few minutes. As tempted as she was to know what was happening, she couldn’t bear to look at either of them right now.

“Then don’t try to tell Beel,” Satan said. “Try telling me.” The anger had dissipated from his voice, but she still was wary of him.

“You don’t believe in me. You thought I did this on purpose. I’ve been trying so hard, so hard to actually try to fit in here. To make this my home, and you automatically thought I did this to myself. I don’t even want you in this room!” Grace hissed at him.

Beel made a soothing noise.

“I’m sorry Grace. I believe you now. Tell me,” Satan emphasized the word. “What happened. I promise I will hear you out.”

“Fix Satan in your mind and try to tell him what you wanted to tell me,” Beel encouraged. “I think it will help.”

Grace took a couple deep breaths. She tried to think of Satan, but right now even picturing his face made her feel hurt and angry. However, holding that thought in her head made her feel like the only roadblock to her words was her own frustration with him.

She still didn’t open her eyes. Grace didn’t want to see the look on their faces as she described her crumbling sanity. So, she slowly confessed to Satan, because anytime she tried to direct her words to Beel her chest would tighten. Grace explained the strange dreams, the memories that weren’t memories and how sometimes it was really hard to tell the difference. That she clearly remembered making tea from both the red and the green jars.

Grace felt Beel’s hands tremble on either side of her face, and shut her eyes even tighter. She was afraid that he still wouldn’t believe her. Or worse, that he did and that would hate her for being so weak-willed and broken.

“I don’t think you were able to tell Beel,” Satan said when she’d been quiet for a while. “But why didn’t you tell one of us? I thought we’d turned a corner trust wise. Surely, one of us-“

Beel interrupted him. “I don’t think it’s that easy. I’ve seen this before.” Beel pulled his forehead away from hers and replaced it seconds later with a soft kiss. “I need to go talk to Lucifer. Do you want to stay with Satan or Levi? I don’t think you should be alone right now, okay?”

Grace finally opened her eyes and looked at Beel for the first time since he’d entered the room. He was still wearing his running gear, and it was damp with his sweat. “You believe me?”

“Yes,” Beel said. “As I told Satan, I’ve seen this before. It’s a very cruel, very effective means of attack. I’m going to find out who is doing it and then I am going to make them suffer before I kill them.”

Normally, Grace would chide him about the threat of violence. However, with how emotionally exhausted and mentally frayed she was, and now knowing that it wasn’t something broken in her but something done to her. Well, Grace was tempted to ask to watch.

“So for my peace of mind, will you stay with Satan or Levi while I go talk to Lucifer about this?” Beel asked. While he usually excelled at giving her puppy dog eyes when he wanted something, the effect was undermined by the fact she could feel how thin a thread held back his anger.

“If I choose Levi, do we have to tell him about-“ Grace looked at the garbage can. “All of it?”

“No. I’ll just say I accidentally stepped on your headset, and if he wants to play with you tonight, he’ll have to let you set the console up in his room.”

Grace smiled, despite herself. “I’m pretty sure he has a spare headset.”

“I’m reasonably sure he won’t argue,” Beel replied.

Satan had been quietly hovering on the edge of the conversation, but finally spoke again. “I’ll order pizza for you two. I’m sure the others will buy that you have some ‘special’ game event and shouldn’t be disturbed.” Satan looked at Grace. “We will have to tell the others, but we don’t have to do it today.”

Grace just nodded. She didn’t know what to say to him right now. She was still feeling hurt that Satan had so little faith in her.

Player Two jumped from the table and into her lap, and she just started petting him. Grace closed her eyes and listened to him purr and let Beel and Satan take care of things.


	29. Asking a Favour of Lucifer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is only one demon Beel knows who might be able to help with the situation with Grace. However, he needs Lucifer's permission to see him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still dealing with the aftermath of the last two chapters. Beel is not taking this well, and dark thoughts and anger prevalent. Just a warning before continuing.

Beel did his best to keep his big friendly smile intact, while he got Grace set up in Levi’s room. Levi had given him a skeptical look at the claim of accidentally breaking her headset. His otaku brother wasn’t dumb, and could clearly see that something was wrong. Levi’s eyes had shifted back and forth, taking in the body language of Grace and both his brothers, and he chose not to rock the boat. Beel was sure Levi was going to be demanding answers later and that was fair, he deserved them.

It would have been easier for Beel to fake being okay, of Satan wasn’t hanging on edges of everything. They did not need his help, but he stuck around anyway, carrying the game console, while Beel handled the TV and Grace snagged an armload of pillows.

“Fuck Grace,” Levi cursed as she entered his room. “I have pillows!”

“I didn’t want you to accuse me later of putting the moves on one of your waifu’s,” she answered with a tired smile as she dumped them on a corner of his floor.

“Okay, but do you need to bring the cat?! He’s going to scare Henry!”

“I didn’t bring him,” Grace said, connecting the cables to the TV. “Player One walked in on his own four feet and as I keep reminding everyone, he’s not actually my cat.”

Beel leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be back soon. Have fun.”

Grace gave him a weak smile and replied quietly. “I’ll have lots of fun watching Levi play with his massive rod.”

Beel laughed. She was still able to joke, that was actually a relief. He really didn’t want to leave, but he had a request to make of Lucifer. He needed to talk to Belphie. Beel didn’t care that his twin was in the mortal realm, Belphie was the expert on this kind of dream manipulation. His twin would know who else was powerful enough to do it on this scale.

Reluctantly, he stepped out into the hallway and shut the door. He listened to the muffled bickering between Levi and Grace for a moment, before turning to find that Satan was still waiting in the hall. The other Siamese cat was sitting next to him watching Beel with intelligent eyes.

Ignoring Satan, Beel made his way to the main floor. Words were not what he wanted to exchange with the avatar of wrath at the moment. Fists were. If what had almost happened to Grace hadn’t been traumatic enough, Satan’s reaction only made it worse.

Beel hadn’t known what to think walking into that room. The first words he had heard spoken was Grace telling Satan that there were at least eight less painful ways to kill herself. The first thing Beel had seen was Grace sitting in a chair trembling with fear in front of his brother.

“Are you just going to ignore me?” Satan asked as Beel made his way to the front door.

“Yes. I want to catch Lucifer before he leaves his office. He will let me go see Belphie, or I will take this matter to Lord Diavolo.” Beel answered.

“I think we need to talk about this,” Satan said.

“I think we need to talk about this later when I feel less like strangling you,” Beel replied quietly. “Just stay here and keep an eye on Grace.” Beel glanced at the cat sitting on the step. “It seems to be your strong suit.”

“If I hadn’t been keeping an eye on her, we both would have been too late.” Satan’s voice was soft and laced with sadness.

Beel closed his eye and tightened his hand on the door handle. “This is me leaving and not talking about it right now.” Beel turned the handle and walked outside.

A lot of thoughts he would rather ignore filled his head while he swiftly made his way to the RAD grounds. Imagining being too late, that was chief among them. Beel was already unwilling to face her leaving at the end of the term and was planning of making a case for her to stay. The thought having only eight more months of her time, that had been unbearable. Realizing that everything could have ended if not for a well-placed feline…if anger was not fuelling him now, Beel would feel lost.

Then there was guilt. For a moment, he had been as guilty as Satan of doubting her. In his defence, she had once spoken of ending it herself, that day she’d lost her temper at Diavolo. Those were words Beel would never be able to forget. ‘By their hands or my own’, she had said. A little slip of the tongue, but that had put the seed in his mind that it was possible. Sure, his doubt had been erased quickly by her desperate plea for him to believe her, but he hated that it had existed in the first place.

The cherry on the sundae of his internal despair was how easy it was to see the signs of the tampering in retrospect. The test she had failed, the first she had failed ever. All the little mistakes that she covered with a smile and just moved on from. The subtle distance that seemed to be growing between her and some of his brothers.

Beel knew he shouldn’t blame himself for that part. When Belphie had created this strategy for disabling his foes, it was meant to be subtle, almost invisible. Why kill an army was taking out the general would be more effective? Beel had never seen the effects up close before. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t see this coming, but he felt it was his responsibility to make it right. Grace was his mistress. His mistress and more.

So, to control the complicated storm of his emotions, Beel focused on what he was going to do about it. First, he needed to talk to Belphie. Second, find out which of his lieutenants he had trained in this particular tactic. Third, determine which of them was dumb enough to betray Lord Diavolo in this fashion. Then fourth, and this part he was going to take his time with, torture the fucker for hours, no days, until he begged for death. Then torture them more, until they too had lost all sanity.

He repeated those steps over and over in his mind as he made his way to Lucifer’s office. Beel pounded his fist against the door and entered without waiting for a reply.

“Mammon,” Lucifer growled without looking up.

“Not exactly,” Beel answered, striding across the carpet and stopping in front of the desk.

“Beel, it is unlike you to be so reckless and rude.” Lucifer chastised as he looked up. He saw the look on Beel’s face and immediately asked. “What has happened?”

“I need to speak with Belphie.”

“You know that is not possible. The terms of the program are clear-“

Beel interrupted Lucifer. “Fuck the rules.”

“Whatever the situation, that level of disrespect will not be tolerated,” Lucifer said, slowly rising from his chair. “That is your only warning, Beel. Control yourself.”

Beel was in a foul enough mood that he was tempted, of so very tempted, to push Lucifer’s boundaries, but that would gain him nothing, and lose him only time. He would not apologize for the disrespect, but he would choose his words with slightly more care.

“I need to consult with Belphie on a matter vital to the continued success of the exchange program, so I think the rules can be bent a little in this case,” Beel stated.

“Belphie’s only contribution to the success of this program lies with him staying exactly where he is for the duration of it,” Lucifer replied.

Beel slammed his fist down, shaking Lucifer’s desk. “This fucking program almost died on our kitchen floor this afternoon!”

“Explain.” Lucifer, fallen from grace or not, was still the first of God’s angels and his voice in that moment held the full weight go that power. “Now.”

Under Lucifer’s gaze, Beel explained everything that he and Satan had put together. From the manipulation to its almost fatal effects that afternoon. He explained, more clearly why he needed to speak with Belphie directly. He knew his brother was cautious, and that the information Beel sought was not likely to be found in any record.

Lucifer’s eyes grew dark as he listened. There were only the tiniest flecks of red floating in them, like embers blowing in the wind on a moonless night. The line of his lips hardened, then deepened into a scowl. When Beel finished speaking, Lucifer contemplated the information in silence.

“You may be right, Beel,” Lucifer admitted softly, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “Belphegor may be the only being with the answers you are looking for. I will allow this visit.”

Beel’s heart leapt. Even though the reason for seeking this visit was so dire, he could not help but feel joy at the thought of being reunited with his twin again. After centuries of being a constant part of each other’s existence, this time apart had been like an excruciating bleeding wound that would not heal. He couldn’t wait to tell him about Grace.

Lucifer walked slowly to the door. Beel noticed an unusual hesitancy to the eldest’s steps, but ignored it, and looking forward to the prospect of seeing Belphie. Beel trailed along behind Lucifer, as they headed one of the rooms that housed the permanent portals to the mortal realm. Lucifer drew a key from his uniform jacket and then paused. “You should give me your DDD. There is a small chance it could be damaged in transit and they are useless on the mortal plane anyway.”

Beel pulled it from his pocket and looked down at it. He slowly and regretfully typed a message to Grace, letting her know he wouldn’t be back tonight after all. After a pause, he added that he would miss her. Then, he handed it to Lucifer with reluctance.

Lucifer unlocked the door and walked inside. He laid a solitary gloved hand on the portal and closed his eyes in concentration. Beel saw the portal flash as its destination was changed by Lucifer’s will. “You will find Belphegor on the other side.”

“Take care of her for me?” Beel asked. Lucifer opened his mouth, but Beel spoke over him. “Not because it's your duty. Do it because she is special to me.”

Lucifer nodded solemnly. “I will care for her as though she was bound to me by pact.”

“Thank you, Lucifer.” Beel smiled gratefully at his older brother. Then he looked over at the portal. “I’m a little nervous. It feels like it's been forever since I’ve seen him.”

“Remember the reason for your visit,” Lucifer counselled. “And for her sake, I hope that you are able to return swiftly.”

Beel nodded again. “I’ll try to be quick. She’s not safe until we stop who is attacking her.”

“I’m certain that your actions tonight will accomplish that, in time.”

Beel smiled at his brother, one more time and then stepped through the portal.


	30. The Attic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer brings the evening meal up to the attic.

Instead of one tray, Lucifer now needed to carry two up the stairs up to the attic. Both Asmo and Mammon were out for the night so he had no need to worry about them. Nor did he need to concern himself with Satan, who was in the library and not likely to emerge any time soon. He had checked on Grace as soon as he had arrived home and found that she was still with Levi, playing their game.

If he thought his steps had felt heavy, leading Beel to the portal, the simple act of climbing these stairs was far worse. This was not a solution he would have chosen for this situation, but none other had presented itself. This could end very poorly for his whole family, and the weight of the worst potential outcome would crush a weaker soul.

He approached the door to the prison and hid any doubts he might have. They could not show on his face. Lucifer needed to look like his position was unassailable. He would also not show them any hint of the pain he was feeling. It had broken his heart to imprison one of his brothers, doing it to a second…he shook his head. Now was not the time to be sentimental and weak.

He stepped in front of the barred door. The voices within stopped immediately.

“Do not speak,” Lucifer commanded, as he slid the first of the trays through the slot. “Belphegor, I’m sure you have had more than enough time to tell Beel your side of the story. It is now my turn.” He slid the second tray through and then rose to look at the twins, through the bars. Two pairs of nearly identical eyes glared at him with animosity. 

“I am sure that I have been painted a monster by your twin’s words Beel. Monster is a role I am well familiar with. The choices I make, the choices I have always made have been what is best for the family. If Belphie had gone through with his rebellious plan to murder the incoming human exchange students, he would have been executed. I will not-“ Lucifer caught that his voice was getting heated, and pulled the intensity back. “I will not suffer the loss of another of my siblings. I would rather he hate me and be alive, then dead. I can bear that.”

“Now, Beel. It was your desire to know who was capable of inflicting such torment on your Mistress. It brings me no joy to give you that answer. The only being in the Devildom with both the knowledge, power and the ability to bypass the powerful wards protecting the House of Lamentation, manipulating your Mistress’ mind to this complete of a degree. He stands next to you. A demon, who has already proudly declared he would end this program with human death.”

Beel turned to look at Belphegor with a look of horror. Lucifer continued, “What happens now, is entirely up to the pair of you. Both of you may be able to return from the mortal realm, one of you, or-“ Lucifer’s pause was almost imperceptible. “Neither of you. Beel, I hope that you are able to talk sense into your twin, for both of your sakes. Good night.”

Lucifer walked away, ignoring Beel calling after him.


	31. Talk to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belphie worries about how Beel is processing the situation.

It had been hours since Lucifer had left. Belphegor was worried. Very, very worried. Beel had walked away from his food and was sitting at the foot of the bed, his knees were drawn up to his chest. His arms were crossed on top of his knees and his head resting on those arms. He was staring at the wall.

Belphegor’s first attempts to talk to him had only resulted in Beel releasing a feral growl that promised violence if he had continued. But, that had been hours ago and this was literally the longest Belphie had seen his twin not eat, except when sleeping. Belphegor picked up the plate and cautiously approached his sibling. He sat across from him, leaning his back against the wall, directly in his line of sight. “Beel? Talk to me?”

Beel sighed and closed his eyes.

“Don’t shut me out,” Belphie pleaded. They were finally together. Beel pulling away from him both physically and emotionally when they were finally together in the same room tore at him.

This was not how he had envisioned their reunion going. Belphegor had never once imagined that Lucifer would bring Beel to his prison, let alone lock his twin in it. One more reason for him to hate his eldest sibling.

It was no surprise that Beel was shocked and angry. Belphie knew, he knew, that they could work through this.“I can feel how upset you are. Talk to me about it. Yell at me about it! But, don’t shut me out. We’ve been apart too long as it is.”

“What do you want me to say Belphie?” Beel said in a tired voice.

“Anything is better than silence.”

“I don’t have the words right now,” Beel said. “I’m trying to sort through all of…this.” He gestured to the room.

“We can sort through it together,” Belphie offered. “Isn’t that what you usually do when you have a problem? Talk it through with me?”

“You’ve never been part of the problem before,” Beel answered, so softly it was barely audible.

Belphie winced. Okay, that was true. “You are right. I never intended for you to get dragged into this.”

“She is my MISTRESS!” Beel roared. “How was I not going to be involved with this?!”

Belphie tried to choose his next words carefully. “If things had gone as I had hoped, the human would have died, the program ended, and I would have been set free.” Beel would have been set free too. Free from that pact shackling him to that parasite.

“This! This is why you can’t help me sort through it!” His words were softer now, but no less full of passion. “Grace! She has a name, and it is Grace, and you will use it! Grace isn’t just some random human! She isn’t a pawn you can remove without consequences!”

“Why?” Belphie asked. “What makes her so different for any other soul we have tempted in the past? What sets her apart from the souls we torment in our domain?” Beel looked like he was going to start yelling. “I mean it. Tell me what makes her special to you, apart from the pact.”

Beel still looked skeptical. “You’ll listen?”

“I’ll listen. I can’t promise it will change anything, but I will listen,” Belphie agreed. “What was the first thing you noticed about the-“ he caught himself in time. “Grace? What was the first thing you noticed about Grace?”

Belphegor listened as Beel spoke. There was a wistful tone to his voice when he talked about her, and a tender smile on his lips. Belphie tried to shove his jealousy aside, and really hear what Beel was saying. It was hard, but Belphie was going to try. He was pretty sure that any further attempts to remove her from Beel’s life were not going to be tolerated. Perhaps Belphie could find some redeeming quality if he looked at her from Beel’s perspective.

As Beel calmed down, Belphie slowly slid the food toward his twin. Beel started to eat, in between sentences. A relieved smile spread across Belphie’s face. That was much better. It had been starting to scare him that Beel was ignoring his hunger.

It was hard to keep that smile on his face. The things Beel was saying, they seemed so mundane to Belphie. He liked the way her eyes sparkled when she felt brave enough to tease someone. The way she smiled when she tried to flirt with him. Beel licked his lips when he described how she cooked. There was no way in any of the realms that she so good a cook to leave Beel with that contented look on his features.

Belphegor reflected on how different the picture Beel’s words painted was from his own view of her. He knew that his own vision of her was tainted by just how much he hated humans. However, he had seen things in her dreams that would shake the somewhat naive and idealized way his twin saw her. Belphegor held his tongue though. He promised he would listen, and listen he would.

Yawns started to punctuate Beel’s speech. Belphegor crawled across the floor toward his brother. He sat next carefully next to Beel. Belphegor was a little worried that Beel was going to pull away from him, but he seemed to have calmed down. After a few yawns, Beel leaned against Belphie.

That felt better. Belphegor leaned his head against Beel’s shoulder. He closed his eyes and kept listening to Beel, though there was longer and longer pauses between the sentences. Eventually, Beel succumbed to sleep, his breathing slow and even.

Tomorrow was going to better. They were together now. Nothing as trivial as one stupid human was going to come between them for long. Even if Belphie had to swear not to harm her, once free there would be other ways to get her out of the picture. As for the prison, well if Lucifer would not see reason, it had not been constructed to hold both of them. Belphegor smiled sleepily, those were problems for tomorrow. For the rest of tonight, he would enjoy sleeping next to his twin again.

His eyes closed, and Belphegor fell asleep, feeling whole and complete for the first time in months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the long delay between updates. Life bit me in the rear end.


	32. Bathtub Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's a girl to do when her pact demon is AWOL? Spend the night with Levi.

Waking up in a bathtub usually was not the best way to start a day. In this case, it wasn’t all bad, Grace actually remembered why and how she ended up in one, and it was more than comfortably padded. Grace was actually pretty happily cocooned, but her stomach and bladder were both objecting to the current arrangement.

Levi and Grace had spent a solid couple of hours playing before he called it quits because she seemed distracted. Grace had been surprised he hadn’t been annoyed with her, but he just suggested binge-watching one of his anime’s she hadn’t seen. Between disk two and disk three, he had finally asked if she wanted to talk about it. “I don’t know what ‘it’ is but you can tell me anything,” he had said.

Maybe it was the fact they’d just spent nearly six hours together in pleasant company, or it might have been the fact that she knew she would need to tell all of them eventually, but Grace had chosen to confide in him. She had been braced for what seemed to be the default solution most of the demons had when confronted with a threat to her, anger and violence. Levi had surprised her.

He had gone quiet for a few moments, and while she could see that he was angry, he didn’t have an outburst. Grace had waited nervously for his response. She had been shocked, when his question had been, “What do you need?”

That was how she ended up with his ‘bed’ because that way he could still play on his computer when she finally crashed and she wouldn’t be alone if she woke up during the night.

As Grace opened her eyes, she tried to remember if she had woken during the night. She remembered having nightmares, but as far as she could tell they were just ordinary nightmares. It was sad that she now had to question if her nightmares were just normal nightmares or supernaturally induced nightmares. Yes, now that she thought about it, Grace could vaguely remember Levi’s voice and the feeling of his hand stroking her hair. Or was that just a dream? She shook her head and yawned. If it had been a dream, it had been a pleasant one.

Grace glanced over to where Levi was still sleeping. His head was pillowed on his crossed arm, resting on his desk. His headphones were still on his ears, and the screen seemed to be playing the same music video on loop. She felt guilty because he looked so uncomfortable, but she had offered to sleep on the floor and he wouldn’t hear of it. Even though she had more than enough pillows to be totally comfortable.

She unwrapped the blankets that were tucked around, then carefully picked up the cat who was sleeping on her feet. She set a less than impressed looking Player One down on the ground, before getting out of the tub herself. Grace yawned and stretched, feeling her back crack in a good way. Now that she was up and moving, Grace hunted for where she left her DDD last night. It was sitting next to the pizza box, on Levi’s desk.

Grace approached the desk, and the sleeping demon quietly. She picked up her device, and checked her messages, hoping to see one from Beel. No, nothing since his two quick messages last night. She frowned and opened the pizza box to see if they had finished it off.

“Really? After I generously let you use my bed you repay me by taking the last piece of pizza?” Levi chided turning his head to face her. With one hand he paused the video that was playing, and the other he took off his headphones. “If this were an anime, this would lead to an epic two-episode martial arts fight scene, which I would win.”

Grace pulled that last slice from the box and took a bite. “If we were in an anime, I’d flash you my boobs and win.” She took a second bite, grinned and offered him the rest.

“If this was an anime, your boobs would be bigger,” Levi teased, shaking his head at the half-eaten slice. He sat up in her chair and stretched his arms above his head.

“I’m sorry my three dimensional breasts are not big enough for your liking.” Grace polished off the slice and then looked at him. “We need a body-swapping episode. I’d like to see you walk around with these for a few days. I betcha then you wouldn’t complain about their size after that.”

“I wasn’t complaining,” Levi said defensively, turning the chair to face her. Nodding toward her DDD, “Nothing from Beel?”

She shook her head. “No, but I’ve got one from Lucifer. He wants me to stop by his study when I’m awake and dressed. I’m sure he’ll know what’s going on.” The thought of facing Lucifer made her frown.

Levi noticed her frown. “You know it’s not your fault, right?”

Grace didn’t answer immediately. He was right, it wasn’t. A part of her knew that, but knowing that her perception of the world had been manipulated made her feel like the ground around her was less solid, filled with hidden pockets of quicksand. That feeling of instability combined with it being less than a month since the last time she’d had a brush with her own mortality, well, she felt very small today.

“Levi, I don’t like being the character that is sheltered at the back of the party. You know the one, that one that constantly needs healing and protection,” Grace said with a sigh.

“Maybe we just need to change your class, or get you better equipment,” Levi replied. “Cause, speaking for myself, I like having you in the party.”

“Even if I’m a drain on the potion supply?” Grace asked.

“Even then,” Levi said with a smile. “You wanna pick up where we left off and finish the Marsh of Hate?”

“Yes, but no, I guess I should find out what Lucifer knows.” Grace closed her eyes and stretched once more. “Then, speaking of changing classes, I still want to take that test with Satan today. If they were wrong, and I really can do more than just make people not notice me, I want to know.”

“You sure?” Levi asked. “You seemed pretty uncomfortable around Satan when he dropped the pizza off. Maybe you should wait until a day you feel more at ease with him?”

“I’m sure.” Grace felt that if she waited for there not to be an emergency, it would never happen.

“If you change your mind, you know where I’ll be,” Levi said, casually turning his chair back around.

“Yeah, probably right in that chair.” Grace headed for the door. “If it okay for me to come back and grab my console, later? Feeling lazy about it right now.”

“Sure,” Levi said.

Just as she was about to leave, he swivelled his chair and called out, “Hey! Um, you know, if Beel isn’t back tonight…”

Grace smiled. “I’m not going to kick you out of your bed two nights in a row, but I really appreciate it.”

“Keep me in the loop, and good luck with Lucifer.” Levi turned his attention back to his screen.

As Grace headed down the hall, she hoped she wasn’t going to need it.


	33. Memory of a Forbidden Taste

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning arrives in the attic, and it is not peaceful.

Beel could smell the food long before he heard Lucifer’s steps in the hallway. He gently moved away from brother, laying Belphie down in the ground and approached the barred door.

Looking through the bars, Lucifer’s eyes scanned the room. “There is somewhat less damage than I expected. Has Belephegor persuaded you to his cause so easily?”

“If he had do you think we would still be in this room?” Beel asked, his voice dark and low. “Release me now.”

Lucifer crouched and slid the first tray through the door. “And what will you do if I open this door?”

“Lucifer, what do you think this-“ Beel gestured to the room around him, “is going to accomplish?”

“What I hope to accomplish is that you could persuade him to no longer be a threat to Grace,” Lucifer replied. The second tray slid through, this one more heartily filled. “Best case scenario, you somehow convince him to abandon his vendetta against the entire human species, and return to the family.”

“How is Grace?” Beel asked, his voice filled with concern and regret. He hadn’t enjoyed leaving her so shaken and vulnerable but how could Beel have imagined that wanting to consult Belphie would have resulted in this?

“I’ve not spoken to her yet, but she chose to stay with Levi last night, which is a good sign. At least Belphegor had not yet managed to shake her trust in all of us,” Lucifer answered. With the trays delivered, he stood to his full height.

“I was working at a disadvantage,” Belphie said with a yawn. “Unhindered…you know full well what I could have done.”

“Belphie,” Beel growled. “That is enough.”

“I’m not going to just lie here and let him insult me, Beel,” Belphegor said as he rose. He approached the door, stretching as he did so. “You probably did the worst thing for her, you know, by locking Beel in here,” Belphie spoke in a casual tone. “He was the only thing I couldn’t fuck with. The anchor she knew to be true, so much so I had to go as far as to plant a compulsion that she literally couldn’t talk to him about it. What did you choose to do in your infinite wisdom? You just removed that anchor from the equation.”

There was a sinking feeling in the pit of Beel’s stomach, different from his eternal and never sated hunger. He should be there for her. He knew she trusted Levi, but that wasn’t the same. “Let me out of here. NOW Lucifer!”

“Fear not,” Lucifer replied, not ruffled in the slightest by Beel’s demand. “Did I not promise to care for her as though she was bound to me by pact?”

“That’s not good enough,” Beel said, his voice firm. “She needs me.”

“Due to the extenuating circumstances, I will forgive the insinuation that my protection is in some way lacking,” Lucifer stated calmly. “And you are right, Grace does need you. She needs you to stop him.” Lucifer’s DDD vibrated and he pulled it from his pocket. “Speaking of Grace, I need to go. It seems she is ready to meet.”

“Lucifer, you do know that there is almost no way that this-“ Beel gestured again to the prison that confined him. “Ends well?”

“The keyword there is almost. Therefore it is not impossible.” Lucifer turned and left.

Belphie took his tray and sat down at the table. He ate in silence for a while, and then looked at Beel contemplatively. “I wonder if she could summon you out of here?”

What if she tried and couldn’t? While Beel pictured the array of scenarios where she needed him and he was barred from helping, Belphie continued his musing. “If I made her scared enough, she might try-“ 

He would have said more but Beel pulled him from his chair and then threw him against the wall. “ENOUGH!” he bellowed. “You will leave her alone. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you. Just as I heard Lucifer.” Belphie rose from the ground. “There is no benefit to me leaving her alone. Do you understand that? Benefits for Lucifer, he gets to keep his head up Diavolo’s ass. Benefits for you, you get freed from this prison. Me? I swear to not touch the precious human, and you leave and I stay. Unless you miraculously make me not hate humans.”

Beel knew he could change Belphie’s mind. At least when it came to Grace. All it would take if one sentence. One fact. The one he had not shared with Satan. But, Beel did not want to do it that way. “Can’t you just leave her alone because she is special to me?” he asked. “Can’t that be reason enough?”

“It is because she is special to you that I hate her so much!” Belphie shouted. “I remember all too clearly what happened the last time one of us loved a human.”

Lilith. He was talking about Lilith. 

“This is not the same!” Beel protested. 

“Maybe not yet, but I’ve been watching you. I’ve been feeling ghosts of the feeling you have for her. No, it is best to cut her from your life now, before it is too late.” Belphie replied.

Beel balled his hands into fists. He repressed the urge to hit strike his twin. He did his best to keep the growl from his voice when he spoke next. “You are not doing this to protect me. That’s a lie you are telling yourself.”

“I suppose I’m not,” Belphie said after a moment. He continued to speak. His voice was low and bitter but grew in volume with each sentence. “I hate her because she is sleeping in the room I used to sleep in. I hate her because she gets to wrap her arms around you. I hate her because she sits at the table where I belong. I hate her because she is stealing my place!”

“NONE OF THAT IS HER FAULT!” Beel bellowed at the top of his lungs. “Stop punishing her for something Lucifer did to you! Stop punishing her for a choice Lilith made of her own free will!”

“She has more than enough sins of her own that I can punish her for,” Belphie replied with a cruel smile. “Would you like me to tell you about them? The things that make your precious human feel dirty-“ The rest of the sentence was cut off as Beel grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall. Pictures shook free from their hooks, their glass shattering as the frames hit the floor.

Beel held that grasp, silencing Belphie from speaking words he didn’t want to hear. He held it longer than he should, he could see the desperation, the need for air in his twin's eyes and released his grasp and stepped back. “I’m sorry, Belphie. I didn’t-“

Belphie rubbed his throat and looked at Beel with an expression filled with hurt and betrayal. “Will you be like Lucifer and choose someone else over me?” His voice was a ragged whisper. “Will you abandon me too?”

Seeing the pain in his eyes, Beel felt his heart being torn to shreds. He had been in this position once before, having to choose between Belphie and someone else. That time he had chosen Belphie and been unable to stop their sister’s fall. He didn’t want to have to choose again.

Beel approached Belphie, who eyes him suspiciously. “Never. I would never abandon you.” Beel wrapped his arms around his twin. “If I had known you were here I would have torn the house to pieces to find you.” 

For a moment, Belphie was stiff in his arms, but then he relaxed into the hug. “Do you mean it?” Belphie asked softly. 

“I do.” Beel pressed his forehead against Belphie’s. “I’m not leaving this room without you.”

Beel didn’t want to have to choose. He wasn’t going to. He was not going to choose between his mistress and his other half. He would find a way to save both, even if he had to cheat.

This wasn’t the way he wanted this to go. He wanted Belphie to make the choice not to hurt Grace on his own. That didn’t look like it was going to happen, at least, not right now. 

He stayed close to Belphie for a while, just holding him. “She’s not stealing your place. She’s carving her own place.” Belphie started to interrupt, but Beel placed a finger on his lips. “She belongs here. She’s family.”

Belphie bit the tip of Beel’s finger and then shoved him away. “Just because she has a pact with you doesn’t make her family!”

“The pact has nothing to do with it!” Beel shouted. He took a breath and lowered his voice. Yelling wasn’t going to solve anything. “I said it because it’s true. I’ve tasted her. I’ve eaten her flesh, and Belphegor, she tastes like family!”

Belphegor was silent for a moment as he tried to process that. “What?” he questioned. “What do you mean by that?”

Beel approached him once more, “Let me show you.” He extended his hand to his brother. His twin looked a little hesitant but reached for Beel anyway. Beel closed his eyes, took a deep breath in. When he let it out, he tried to let go of everything that was still keeping his mind and heart away from Belphie. Anger, frustration, and fear, he let all those things go and reached for his twin with all of himself. 

Connection, that connection he had been missing these long months snapped back into place. Beel felt complete. Beel felt whole. What Beel felt from Belphie, just poured salt on his wounded heart. The loneliness, the sense of being betrayed, the fear of being forgotten, feeling all of that coming from Belphie near broke him.

Beel hugged his brother close. He knew what he did next might be a mistake, but it was the only way he saw out of this mess. Beel relieved the treasured memory of what Grace tasted like. While it was tainted by guilt that it was without her consent and without her knowledge, remembering it still gave him pleasure. Beel held onto that memory tightly, how it had felt to hold that bit of her in his mouth and how it had tasted on his tongue. Keeping all of those sensations held tightly in his mind, Beel leaned down and pressed the lightest of kisses on Belphie’s lips. 

Beel pulled away and waited.

Belphie opened his eyes flew open with shock and confusion. He slowly raised his fingers to his lips, touching them in disbelief and awe. When he spoke, there was almost a reverence in his voice. “She tastes like Lilith.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead. Between life and this chapter needing to have a delicate balance (which I hope I pulled off right) this one was delayed. Hoping to get back on track tomorrow, but no promises.


	34. Lucifer's Study

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace enters Lucifer's study hoping to find answers and leaving with a bigger question to answer.

Grace hesitated, her hand hovering just over the wood of the door to Lucifer’s study. One deep breath and she knocked gently. Even though she had warned him that she was on her way, Grace kinda hoped that he wasn’t there. Maybe it was because it was his study that she felt extra apprehensive. Something about approaching these doors brought back memories of getting into trouble in the past.

“Enter,” he called from within.

Grace frowned and sighed again. She slowly opened the door. Lucifer was sitting behind his desk, backlit by the windows. He smiled at her. She supposed it was met to be kindly, but it did nothing to put her at ease. He looked imposing sitting behind his desk like that, even more so than Lord Diavolo had behind his own.

“Good morning,” she said politely.

“Sleep well?” he asked.

“Not particularly,” Grace answered honestly. She fidgeted a little and turned her eyes away.

“Have a seat?”

Grace supposed that it was supposed to be a question, but it sounded like a command. She glanced at the chair and then shook her head. “I’d prefer to stand if you don’t mind.”

“As you wish,” Lucifer replied.

She could feel his eyes on her as she paced a little and looked at the tomes on his bookshelf. “Where did Beel go?” she asked.

“He’s consulting with an expert on dream manipulation, and sleep magic,” Lucifer answered.

“Do you know when he will be back?” Grace glanced over at Lucifer.

“The person he needs to speak with is in a very inaccessible place and it may take him some time to return.”

“Oh.” Grace closed her eyes and forced a smile. She had been hoping he would be back soon. Hoping was the wrong word. She had been counting on him being back soon. Grace felt tears gathering under her closed eyelids.

Thought her false smile trembled, Grace managed to make it stick. She told herself that it would be okay. She survived just fine in this house without having him at her side for three months. She could do it a little longer. Grace knew she was telling herself lies, but they were lies she needed to believe in.

“I doubt Beel would have gone if he had realized how long he would be away,” Lucifer offered. “And unfortunately, his DDD is useless to him there.”

That news made the smile falter. So, she couldn’t even talk to him? That just made her feel even more isolated and alone. Grace took another deep breath and tried to think positive thoughts. She still felt comfortable with Levi, so there was that, but would he get tired of her hanging around? And there was Mammon . . . Oh shit, she was going to have to tell Mammon about this.

“Grace?” Lucifer called her name. She opened her eyes and looked at him. “What are you thinking?”

She tried to force her lips to obey and give a reassuring smile, but they were stubbornly refusing to comply. “I was thinking that I’m going to miss him.”

Lucifer slid his chair back, and Grace hoped he wasn’t about to get up. She wasn’t so lucky, of course, he rose to his feet. “While I’m sure that is true, I know that is not the entire truth.” He started to step away from the desk.

“What makes you think you are entitled to the entire truth?” Grace replied, taking a step backward without meaning to.

He smiled and stopped his advance. “And now you sound like the woman who threatened to summon Beel to retrieve her from breakfast just because she thought I was toying with her. I am pleased to see you are still in there.”

It was meant as a compliment, she was sure, but it didn’t feel like one. She thought of and discarded a couple of replies that would likely just turn this into an argument. Grace was already feeling uncomfortably off-kilter, pushing at him right now might only make her fall. Instead of acknowledging his statement, she just redirected the conversation. “Beel had said he had seen this before, and I assume that means you are also familiar with this sort of assault. Is there anything I can do about it? Steps I can take to sort what memories are mine, from what are not?”

The look on his face told her what she needed to know before he spoke the words. “It can be done but it is challenging. I don’t know that you have the ability, training or skill to do it on your own, and I’m certain that you do not currently trust anyone beside Beel to assist you.”

Grace paled as she thought of the implications of that. How many things that she did without thinking could now be harmful? She could have died from brewing tea. Tea! Would she spend the rest of her time in Devildom having to second guess every impulse she had?

“I can’t cook supper tonight,” Grace whispered.

Lucifer nodded, “I will ensure that it is taken care of.”

“No!” She shook her head. Lucifer misunderstood her meaning. “I can’t cook supper tonight.” She repeated, anger heating the words. “One of the few things I that came to love about my time here, one of the things I’m fucking good at, and some asshole has stolen that from me!” She raised her eyes to meet his. “And you are telling me, I might not ever get that back? That I may always be in danger of hurting myself or others?!”

“It is possible to mitigate the damage, but you would need guidance and help. Beel would be best because you trust him, and are bound to him by pact. You would have to let whoever was guiding you into your mind, and in your time here you have done your very best to keep each of us at arm's length, both physically and emotionally,” Lucifer answered her, being brutally frank and honest. “To complicate matters, the longer the false memories rest in your mind, the more they will blend into what exists.” He paused and pondered how to explain it. “Think of the implanted memories like pieces of paper dropped into coloured water. They will absorb the colour around them, the sharp edges would slowly become less distinct.”

“Fuck,” Grace swore softly, and then she repeated it at a yell. “FUCK!” She took a couple deep calming breaths. “There has got to be something that I can do.”

“There is,” Lucifer answered, looking non-pulsed by her profanity or yelling. “But, you won’t like it.”

“Tell me.”

“You could make a second pact,” Lucifer replied.

Of all the things he could have said, those were not words she was expecting to hear. “Continue…” she said skeptically.

“You value your autonomy and privacy highly. Beel may be unavailable in time to be of help in this matter. Choose another. Be very specific in your command. You could command your demon never speak of what he sees, hears or experiences while in the process of helping you heal your mind.” There was a glint in Lucifer’s eyes as he explained this.

Grace’s attention turned inward once more. Was that something she was prepared to do? Was she willing to offer another bite of her soul to a second demon? For something that was only possible, not even a guarantee? If she was willing, who would she ask? Asmo? No, he already had boundary issues. Mammon? He had already once talked about owning her, how would be if he actually possessed a piece of her? Levi. Yes, she did trust Levi, but would he even be willing? It had been rare enough that he had let her game in his room, how would feel about letting her a lot closer than that? Satan? Grace shook her head, remembering that he hadn’t even had faith in her when she told him that she hadn’t tried to hurt herself. No, giving him a key to her mind was not going to happen.

She was so distracted by her thoughts, that she never noticed, never heard Lucifer approach. He touched Grace’s shoulder to draw her attention. She looked up at him, into his red eyes, those unreadable red eyes. “Grace, I offer you a pact. Do you accept?”

Her heart stopped for a moment. When it started, Grace started to wonder if this was all another distorted fragment of memory as there was no way that he should ever be speaking those words. No, she had never been to Lucifer’s study before. This, as impossible as it seemed, had to be real. She blinked, at a total loss for words.

“It should be an easy question. Yes or No?” Lucifer asked.

Grace couldn’t help but smile a little at that. She remembered the last time he asked her a simple yes or no question. This one was as impossible to answer as the one about happiness was. “We aren’t good at yes or no questions, are we?”

“And yet, this one requires an answer.”

Grace let out a slow breath. When she made her pact with Beel, she had barely been coherent. She had been drowning in her own thoughts and emotions and he had chosen to be the life preserver that kept her afloat. Grace did not regret that decision, but it was not one she had thought about, or considered the consequences of. She would not repeat that a second time. “Yes, it does require an answer,” Grace agreed, with a nod. She chose her next words very carefully. “But, not an immediate one. I will give your offer the consideration such a generous offer deserves.”

“Are you not afraid of angering me?” Lucifer asked.

“Lucifer, as of yesterday, I am afraid of making tea,” Grace said with a snort. “As of three weeks ago, I’m unable to eat ground red meat because it makes me afraid. Fear is my near-constant companion. If you choose to take this as an insult, I can’t stop you.”

“Do you think any of them would serve you better?”

The word serve coming from Lucifer's lips sounded wrong. He was not one who served. He was one that commanded. “No. If I choose this path, I will accept your offer and no other.”

“Then why waste both of our time, it is too precious for that, and just agree now.” Lucifer had a smile. He was playing with her like she was a mouse and he a cat.

“Because I want to consider how much more of myself I want to offer to this realm. It has tried to take my body. It has tried to steal my mind. I will choose how much of my soul it gets to claim.” Grace took a step away from him. “You will have your answer before I sleep next.”

“If you insist,” Lucifer replied, holding her gaze. “It is your choice after all.” She could tell by his voice that he was certain of what her choice would be. “I will see you at dinner.”

Grace turned from him. Her heart pounding in her chest and she could still feel his eyes on her back. She forced her feet to keep a slow and even pace. She was not running from him, or the question she asked. Grace was walking away, to be on time for her appointment with Satan. At least, that’s what she told herself and she took one measured step after another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your continued support and comments. I appreciate you all. Thank you for making me want to keep telling this tale (and the others).


	35. Playing With Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Satan finally gets to test Grace's natural magical ability.

There was a knock on the library door. Satan looked up from the tomes he had spread across the table. Since he had received no word from Beel since he left to talk to Lucifer last night, Satan was working on the problem the best way he knew how. Research. 

Only one person would bother to knock on a door to one of the public rooms. The last person, he expected to seek him out today. Grace.

Satan looked at the cat sitting on the window sill, washing it’s cream coloured face. “You couldn’t have given me a warning?”

“Our arrangement with you only included keeping an eye on her for her own safety,” the cat replied. Its voice was like that of a man in his prime. He paused and wet his paw again before continuing to bathe. “I do not recall there being anything in it requiring either of us to remind you of appointments you had scheduled.”

Appointment? Satan blinked. She couldn’t be coming to him for that, could she? As he looked up and the grandfather clock, to check the time, Grace knocked again and this time she called his name. It was indeed past the time they had scheduled to meet. 

“Enter,” Satan called out to her.

She pushed the door open. Her face was a cautious mask as she approached him. “I thought we were supposed to meet at your room?” The mask wavered for a second. “Or did I remember that wrong?”

“No, I assumed that you wouldn’t want to do this today. You remembered correctly,” Satan reassured her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Grace said, with a hint of exasperation. “I’m sure.” 

“I apologize for being ill-prepared,” Satan said. “Meet in the garden in fifteen minutes? I’ll gather the necessary supplies.”

“Yeah, fine,” Grace agreed, with a frown. She started toward the door, then paused. “Is there anything you need to help carry or something?”

“No, I’ll take care of it,” Satan replied.

She hesitated at the door a moment longer before leaving. 

The cat spoke as soon as Grace left earshot. “She hasn’t told Asmo or Mammon and probably was hoping if she was actually in your presence they wouldn’t stop her if she bumped into them in the hallways.”

“That information would have been helpful a little bit sooner,” Satan commented, heading for the door himself.

“That should have been obvious from the fact she tried to linger in your presence when she’s still feeling hurt by you.” The cat yawned and jumped from the windowsill and stretched. “And I thought that you were one of the smart ones.”

“Your presence is not required,” Satan said, as the cat trailed him out the door.

“As though your opinion matters.”

Satan stopped at his room and picked up the box he had prepared earlier this week. He was genuinely surprised that she was still wanting to do this today, but her expression had been clear that she did not want to be questioned further on the topic. 

Grace was waiting for him outside, sitting on a bench. She watched him prepare a protection circle in the space with curious eyes. “I thought you said that this wasn’t dangerous?”

“Nothing about the test itself is dangerous,” Satan replied, not looking up from his preparations. “But, if what I suspect is correct, you may be.”

“So what you are saying is that it is to protect you, not me?” Grace said with a little laugh. Her expression turned serious, “What is it that you suspect?”

“I prefer not to tell you. I don’t want expectations on your part to influence the results.” Satan completed his task and sat next to her on the bench. “Speaking of influencing the results…we should talk about yesterday.”

She sighed and nodded her head. Though she had just signalled her agreement, Grace didn’t say anything.

Satan frowned. “I assume you are still angry at me for yesterday.”

“No,” Grace answered. “I wasn’t angry. I felt hurt. I felt scared. I felt alone.” She paused, before continuing. “I still feel those things. I understand why you thought what you did, after seeing what you saw.” There was another pause, and Satan waited patiently for her to continue. “But, are we okay? No. The worst part is, I don’t even know if we were okay before that. Now I’m questioning everything about the last three weeks. Everything.” She took a breath and shook her head. “So let’s just do this, okay, cause I’m not really seeing a better time for it in the future.”

“I want you to be sure, really sure, you want to do this. You may not like the answers it gives,” Satan cautioned.

“I’m sure,” Grace nodded and stood. “Tell me what to do.”

Satan took her hand and led her into the circle. He smiled when he noticed the care she took not to disturb the lines. “Sit and make yourself comfortable. This will take a while.”

“This is actually the least intimidating thing left on my plate today,” Grace said, settling herself cross-legged on the grass. “Take all the time you need.” 

“Does the answer stay the same once I tell you that you need to accomplish most of this test with a blindfold on?” Satan asked.

“Will it require a safety word?” Grace quipped.

“No.”

“Then, still the least intimidating part of my day.” She laughed, and while it was still somewhat forced, Satan couldn’t help but be glad to hear it.

He tossed her a length of black fabric, and she caught it with one hand. Satan watched as she fastened it around her eyes. That despite everything that was happening, Grace still trusted him enough to follow his instructions with little delay or argument, which was a relief. Despite the doubts she had voiced, things were not quite as broken as Grace feared.

“This isn’t going to be flashy,” Satan began.

“That’s good, cause I wouldn’t be able to see it if it was,” she interrupted.

“Now,” he continued, ignoring her jest. “Take the same steps you would as though you were going to cast ‘Non videbis me’, but no more.”

What followed would appear to be very boring. Satan had brought with him numerous items, each imbued with varying strengths of magical energies. They were what appeared to be random objects, which was why he didn’t want her to see them. Her visual impression might influence how she perceived the strength of the item. There was another variable to them, and that was if the mystical energy originated from the Celestial, Infernal or Mortal realm.

For over an hour, Satan tasked Grace with sorting the items in different ways in order to gauge her sensitivity to the different energies. Given what Beel had revealed to him, the results were not surprising to him. She was able more accurately detect the levels of power in things imbued with Celestial energy, flawlessly getting the order correct even when the differences were very minor. Mortal magic, well in that their assessment was mostly correct. While she definitely had more than no talent at all, Grace struggled with those items. It took her longer, required more focus on her part, and if the difference was negligible, Grace often would make mistakes. Despite her human heritage, she actually fared better with the Infernal magic. While not much better than her grasp of the Mortal energies, it was still easier for her than what should have been her forte, given her plane of birth. Satan wondered if it had to do with her pact with Beel, or the fact that she had never attempted to use magic at all until she came to Devildom.

Satan put all but three of the items away. A black pebble that seemed to absorb the light, a feather and a clear crystal. “You can take the blindfold off,” he instructed.

“Are we done?” Grace asked. She blinked her eyes, adjusting to the light.

“Not quite,” Satan replied. “How are you feeling?”

“A bit of a headache, almost like a fly is buzzing around in my brain.” Grace cracked her neck.

“Tired?”

“Yes, but no much more so than before we began,” she answered. Grace looked past Satan and smiled. “I’ve never seen them together before.”

Satan glanced behind him. The two felines that she had dubbed Player One and Player Two were sitting on the bench, observing the proceedings. He had known one of them had followed him here, but Satan had been unaware that the second had arrived. ‘There is one more test I’d like to try. Do you think you are up for it?” Satan inquired, directing her attention away from the cats.

Grace nodded. “I’m good. Let’s get this over with. No need to do all the set-up again on a different day.”

“I’m sure you remember the command for starting a fire,” Satan stated, as he passed her a candle in a simple crystal holder.

“Never managed to make it work, despite hours of trying. Pretty sure I’ll never forget it. Adolebique.” She set the candle down on the grass in front of her. “Why do you want to try something I failed at?”

“Because while I know you’ve succeeded at the ‘Non videbis me’, there is no way you would be able to succeed at with my eyes already trained on you.”

Grace nodded, “Right, I should have thought of that.” She exhaled and smiled. “So what do you expect to be different this time?”

“You’ll see,” he said returning her smile. He handed her the clear crystal. It was imbued with properties from the Mortal Realm. “Hold on to this, and find what feel for what is most like it in yourself and use that to drive the spell.”

“Okay,” she replied. He could tell from the tone in her voice that she was humouring him and wasn’t expecting this to go well. She closed her eyes a minute, and when she reopened them, Grace focussed her attention on the candle’s wick. She took a breath and spoke clearly. “ **Adolebique.** ”

At first, nothing happened, and Grace glared at the candle as though it had done her personal harm. Then the tiniest burst of flame caught, only to blow open almost immediately in the light breeze. She closed her eyes in disappointment. “Happy?”

“We aren’t done yet,” Satan held his hand out for the crystal and gave Grace the feather instead. “Try again with this.”

“I don’t see the point,” Grace said with a frown.

“Humor me.”

She sighed and closed her eyes once more. This time when she gave the command, the results were quicker, but the flame was as weak as the first attempt. However, Grace actually needed to blow the candle out this time, the breeze didn’t do it for her. While she smiled, Satan could still see the disappointment in her eyes. “Well, I guess I have a cool party trick for when I go home.”

“Once more,” Satan urged. He held out his hand once more, taking the feather from her outstretched hand.

This was testing the natural depth of the magic in her, while the blindfold set of tests gauged her sensitivity. Just because one was aware of the magic, did not mean that one could wield it. So far, this was going according to his expectations. She fared better with the Infernal power than her natural resource from her mortal nature. Seeing it in action, Satan was almost certain that this came from the pact. He wondered if she would have done better if Beel was present.

This time he gave her the black stone from the Celestial Realm. If he was right, lighting the candle this time should be almost effortless for her, and the flame strong. Grace sighed again and closed her eyes for a third time. Her eyes were determined when she reopened them, and there was a stubborn set to her lips. “ **Adolebique!** ”

Perhaps it was because she had been so frustrated by the lack of results from her first two attempts, or perhaps Satan had underestimated the potential she wielded. In either case, the results were not what either of them expected. Yes, the wick caught on fire, but the candle immediately melted into a pool. The grass caught fire and Grace retreated from it in panic.

“ **Obruent!** ” Satan immediately called, drowning out the fire. 

Grace stared at the smoking grass, her eyes wide in shock. “I did that,” her voice was soft.

Satan approached her, prepared to offer comfort.

She smiled and repeated herself louder. “I did that!”

Satan could not help but laugh at the joy in her voice. “Yes. You did that.”

Her smile became a grin and she laughed. Satan wasn’t sure he had ever heard her laugh with such honesty in the entire time she had lived here among them. She covered her mouth, hiding the smile, and muffling the laugh. It made him feel a little sad to see her automatically try to conceal this moment of genuine open emotion. It was a precious glimpse of the self she felt the need to conceal and protect. The moment passed, and she soon guarded her expression again.

“You knew that was going to happen.” It wasn’t a question. Grace was just stating a fact. “That’s why you had me do this in a warded space.” Satan watched her eyes, as Grace put the pieces together and kept his silence. “Three.” She rose to her feet. “You had me do this three times. Everything you asked of me was about feeling. The feather, that felt like Beel.” Grace started to pace. “The crystal felt like the times I tried in the past. The stone,” Grace closed her eyes at the memory. “That felt like the night Xantara tried to kill me.” She opened her eyes and looked at the demon with suspicion. “What do you know? How did you know this would work?”

“Perhaps it would be better to wait until Beel returns to have this discussion,” Satan offered.

Grace shook her head. “Do you know when that will be? Lucifer doesn’t know when that will be. All I got from him was Beel was consulting an expert to help me and said expert was in an inaccessible place.”

Belphie was in the Mortal Realm, and while travel was not easy, it was by no means inaccessible. “That is what Lucifer said?”

“Yes,” Grace confirmed. “Now, you can’t put me through my paces and not tell me the results. What did I do? How did I do that? Why did that feel different?”

Perhaps he should have pressed to have this done on a different day. Satan had not been prepared for such dramatic results, nor had he considered the possibility that Beel would be gone for an extended time. However, she was right and deserved the answer. “Grace, I will warn you once last time that you may not want to hear this answer right now. I assure you, now that I know for certain what has happened, is happening that you are safe.”

“I wish you would all stop promising me safety,” Grace said with a bitter tone in her voice. “Ask me how safe I felt yesterday. Ask me how safe I felt as I tried not to close my eyes last night. Please just tell me the truth.”

“Then sit, because trust me, you will want to be seated, and I will tell you what I know.”

Grace nodded and joined the cats on the bench. One of them, head-butted her leg, before settling its body tight against her thigh. 

“This will be hard to hear, but I suspect that you are not entirely of human lineage.”

Grace blinked a couple of times. “You think I’m not human?”

“I think you may be of mixed heritage,” Satan confirmed. “Somewhere in your family, I believe there may have been a Celestial.”

“That’s-“ Grace couldn’t even get out the protest.

“The testing today confirmed two things. One, that you can access Celestial magic, and two, you have a very deep connection to it.” Satan tried to keep to the facts. “I suspect your near-death experience awakened that part of your nature. It was probably dormant until then.”

“I’m not human?” she asked the question softly. Grace reached up and touched her shoulder. Satan let her process her thoughts in silence. He was unsure of how long had passed but he could see the shadows deepen beneath the trees. Grace rose to her feet and turned away from him, toward the house. “Thank you for telling me the truth, Satan,” she whispered. “I respect that. I appreciate that. Thank you for not hiding this from me. But, excuse me, but I think I need to be alone right now.”

“I don’t think that’s-“

“Wise? Probably not, but-“ Grace stopped mid-sentence. “I don’t have words. I don’t want to see you, any of you at this moment. Please respect that.”

“Promise me one thing?” Satan asked. “No hiding. I will leave you in peace. Give you your space, warn the others to do the same, but I ask that you not run and hide.”

“No using this lovely new well of power to disappear, you mean?” Grace laughed, but it was a desperate sound. “I promise I will try. That’s the best you are going to get, Satan. I promise I will try.”

With that, she walked toward the house. He looked down at the cats, and one of them leapt down, looking to follow her. It was a good thing he had yet to reveal his connection to them. While she would not want to see him, or his brothers, they, she allowed in her presence without question. “Please,” he said to the feline. “Give her the comfort she won’t accept from us.”

Instead of mocking him, it just nodded before trailing behind her to the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Google translate for latin words for Burn and Drown.
> 
> Anyone else think maybe it was a bad choice to teach a distraught human how to start fires?


	36. A Cat's Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace seeks solitude to process the news of her mixed heritage, and Player One stays near by to offer ... comfort?

Grace made it back to her room without seeing anyone, for which she was beyond grateful. She didn’t think she could handle seeing anyone right now. Scratch that, she knew she couldn’t handle seeing anyone right now. Grace knew her room was the stupidest place she could go. It would be the first place anyone would actually look for her, but she didn’t feel like she had anywhere else to go.

She shut the door and leaned back against it. Grace slid to the floor and buried her face in her hands. It was all too much, too overwhelming. Life in Devildom had already been like treading water, exhausting in every possible sense of the word. Now she felt like she was trying to tread water at sea, with nothing to hold on to, with wave after wave crashing against her weary body and mind.

Not human. What was she even supposed to make of that? Pulling on that thread made her feel like her life was unravelling. Of all the labels, Grace had ever worn in her life, that was one of the first. Before she even had a name, Grace had been considered human. That fact was the one that had defined her life down here the most. A human exchange student. A tasty human soul. That last thought made her open her eyes.

Soul. If she wasn’t entirely human, what did that mean for her soul? Would it be different than the soul of an ordinary human? Grace’s eyes widened. Did Beel know? She had given him a piece of her soul. Could he tell she wasn’t wholly human? Grace shook her head. If he did, he would have told her, right? Right?

There were little things. Little things that made her question that though. How he hadn’t seemed surprised by the way she had healed from the attack. How that he never suggested Grace not take the test with Satan, but always seemed willing to support her reasons to delay it. Such tiny little things, but just enough to add a little more chaos to her already scattered emotions.

Grace wanted to cry, but she was past the point where the tears would come. She wanted to sleep and rest her weary mind but feared what dreams would bring. Plus the promise that she had made Lucifer heavily on her. He needed an answer before she slept. What was she even going to say to him? Even if she wanted to go through with it, would he once he knew that she wasn’t what he thought she was?

Who was she? What was she? Grace used to have the answers to those very basic questions. She may not have liked herself. At times, Grace may have even hated herself, but she had known who she was. Now she couldn’t trust her own mind and didn’t understand her own nature. Grace was struggling to find a way to process it and keeping her head above the water was getting harder and harder.

Grace didn’t know how long she sat against the door, staring blankly into space when her DDD started to ring. Grace blinked slowly and turned her head to see where she’d left it. Grace hadn’t taken it with her to see Lucifer and had figured it would be an unnecessary distraction when she took the test with Satan. The device was sitting on her desk.

She rose to her feet. Her legs felt unsteady under her as Grace crossed the floor to retrieve it. She let the call go through to voice mail before she picked it up. There were several missed calls, mostly from the girls, as well as a couple from Mammon and Asmo. Grace hadn’t messaged them since the events of the day before, and by the number of missed texts alone, Grace could see that they were worried.

Grace considered typing a reply, but her fingers paused above the screen. The idea of talking about the dance and dresses while the world crumbled around her felt wrong, and yet sharing what was happening with girls she’s known such a short time seemed somehow worse.

Grace felt a head butt softly against her free hand. Still looking at the messages on her DDD, she scratched the cat's ears without thinking.

“You are only alone if you choose to be.”

Grace looked away from the DDD at the sound of an unfamiliar male voice. She glanced around the room and wondered if she was hearing things.

“A little higher,” the voice continued.

Grace looked down at the cat beside her. He had his eyes closed and his neck stretched trying to force her fingers to where he wanted them.

“Did you just talk?” Grace asked, wondering if the last fragile thread she was hanging on to had just snapped.

“I said ‘a little higher’.”

It had not been Grace’s imagination. She could feel the muscles in his neck move. “You can talk?”

“Can we skip the surprised theatrics? You fucking are living on the infernal plane in a house with the avatars of the seven deadly sins. Less than six months ago you worked fast food part-time and went to university. Me talking shouldn’t even be in the top ten list of strange shit in your life.” The cat said. “Also did I say you could stop scratching?”

Grace shifted her fingertips, digging into his soft fur some more. She knew when she hit the right spot because his loud purrs were instantaneous. “Better,” the cat acknowledged, drawing the word out until it was as almost a purr itself.

Grace was more willing to accept that cats could talk than she was that she totally lost what little sanity remained asked. "So why are you choosing to talk now?”

“Cause I don’t think you will listen to anyone else. It is quite impressive how much you bend those boys to your will without even noticing. It’s fun to watch, I’ll give you that, but the last thing you need right now is to be alone with those thoughts of yours and Satan is probably going to respect your wishes which in this case might be the worst thing he could do. Sitting here and drowning yourself in questions you haven’t got the answers to, and being too proud, too scared to ask the people who might have the answers might lead you to do something stupid.”

“I wouldn’t have-“ Grace protested.

“Please, you can’t tell me that you hadn’t thought of packing a bag and ducking out of here. If you could have thought of where to go, you’d be gone by now. Even Satan knows it.”

“I’m sorry if finding out I’m not human changes everything!” Grace shouted, stopping scratching the cat.

Player One stepped onto her lap and looked up at her. “It doesn’t change everything! It doesn’t change you!” He firmly pressed a paw on her chest. “You were born that way, the only difference is you know it now. You are still the same person you were when you woke up this morning in Fish-Boy’s bed.” The cat tilted his head and continued lecturing her. “I know you are scared cause the Giant is gone, but he isn’t the only one that cares for you. I want you to remember this: Fish-Boy liked you when he thought you were some punk minor demon trolling him on his favourite game. He still liked you when he realized you were human, and I don’t think a little thing like a little bit of angel tucked in there is going to change that.”

Grace blinked at the feline on her lap. She opened her mouth to intent on interrupting him, however, the cat wasn’t going to be interrupted.

“Yes, that is going to change the circumstances around you. This news is going to cause a stir that’s for certain and it’s going to show you who your real allies are. Cause anyone whose opinion of you changes because of this news, never knew you, or liked you to begin with.”

Grace covered her face with her hands. “You make it sound so simple.”

“That’s cause it is simple. But simple doesn’t mean easy,” the cat replied. “Breathing is simple, but there are thousands of things going on in your body to make that simple action happen.”

“It all feels like too much,” Grace said with a sigh.

“It is too much when you look at the whole, but break it into smaller chunks and deal with the problems one at a time. Stressed about the Peacock? Change the deadline, you were the one to set it. Want to see the Giant? You could try summoning him. Need answers about pacts? Both Empty-Pockets and Sex-Toy are currently in pacts. Want answers about angels? Two of them live down here, and would probably answer your questions.”

Her chest tightened at the thought of doing any off those things. “Stop making it sound so cut and dry!”

“It’s not cut and dry. It’s messy, but all of life is messy, both the good parts and the bad parts. Right now you are so scared of everything messy, everything you can’t control, that you are missing out on the good stuff too.”

Grace opened her mouth but no words came out. How dare this four-legged fur ball talk to her like that! Grace pushed him off her lap and stood up. “Shut up! You don’t know me! You’ve got no right!”

The cat arched his back, non-pulsed by her at all. “I know that you push away every hand that tries to help you. I know that you only trust the one brother you could literally control. I don’t know what shit’s gone down in your past. I don’t care. I do care that you won’t survive this place unless you get your hands dirty and deal with the messy shit, the good and the bad.”

“Fuck you!” Grace screamed.

“Not interested. You’re not really my type or species, so don’t take it too hard,” the cat replied. He went and curled up on one of her pillows. “You got some choices to make, girl. You can curl up and have a nap with me for a bit if you want, or you can actually start dealing with your problems. If you choose to nap, I promise I won’t let you do anything outside the normal bounds of human stupidity when you wake up.”

“Excuse me?! You don’t get to talk to me like that and then sleep on my bed!” Grace growled at the cat.

Player One opened one of his eyes. “I’m a cat. I do what I want when I want. When I want to nap, I nap, and I nap wherever I want.” He closed his eyes as though that was the final word on the subject.

Grace picked up a pillow. She was torn between beating the tar out of the furball and smothering it. She gripped the pillow with shaking hands. But one thing haunted her. Was the cat wrong? Blunt, yes, but as much as Grace wanted to deny it there was truth in what he said. With a frustrated growl, she threw the pillow at the wall, where it soundlessly impacted before falling to the bed, a good foot away from the cat.

“I fucking hate you,” Grace swore at the cat. It didn’t react in the slightest.

Unable to bear the sight of the little asshole, Grace walked into her bathroom and slammed the door. She looked at herself in the mirror. It was the same face that looked back at her this morning when she’d gotten ready for the day. Same soft round face. Same eyes, burdened with the same bags. She sure didn’t look like anything even remotely angelic. Not beautiful and exotic like Simeon, nor adorable like Luke. Grace looked just like the plain old human she had always been.

But wasn’t that the cat’s point? This revelation didn’t change anything about who she was. Maybe it changed where she came from, and what tools she had to work with, but that didn’t make her a whole new person. Grace looked at herself more closely in the mirror and thought about her reaction when she used the Celestial energy for the first time consciously. It hadn’t been fear. It had been joy.

She shook her head at her reflection. She still didn’t see it. She still didn’t understand it, but now that she could feel the well of power in her, Grace couldn’t really deny what Satan claimed. She was part Celestial, for whatever that was worth. It wasn’t that the idea still wasn’t terrifying, it very much was, but Grace decided to trust her gut and how natural the power felt to her and treat it like it was a good thing.

Grace let out a deep breath and tried to decide what to tackle next. She chewed on her lip as she weighed her options. She needed to deal with Lucifer. Grace wanted at least a little more time to think about it and let him know that there was an unintended change in her side of the bargain. The thought of talking to him scared her a little. As brave as her words had been, she was scared of angering him. Her soul, her decision, and if he didn’t like it- Grace cut off that thought before it could go further. She didn’t really need to think about what he was capable of doing if he didn’t like it.

Then she needed to make sure the rest of the brothers were on the same page. That was a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. She found their combined attention, and passionate responses overwhelming. It went against her natural inclination to keep her head down and keep to herself. Don’t share problems, that only lets people know that you are weak. On the other hand, it was emotionally exhausting to dig up the same pain over and over again multiple times for multiple brothers.

Grace turned on the faucet and washed her face. She pondered her options. Definitely Lucifer first. He would hate to be the last to find out about anything. Then maybe she could corral Asmo and Mammon at the same time. Grace had to let them know about the tea thing and the whole not human thing. Ugh, she shuddered at the thought. Mammon would be hurt and angry, and Asmo, well she couldn’t always predict how things would go with him

At least, Satan was in the loop for both of those things. Grace figured she would need to see if he was capable of training her since obviously the class work at RAD wasn’t enough. If he wasn’t, then she might need to talk to the angels. That was one problem that did not need to be dealt with today.

She needed to talk to Levi too, but she was feeling a little more relaxed about that. He, at least already knew about yesterday’s emergency, so he only needed to be brought up to date on today’s newest drama. Grace snorted a laugh and wondered if and when she’d get to enjoy her next drama-free day. Definitely not anytime in the next week, that was sure.

Picking up her brush, Grace ran it through her hair. Actually, talking to Levi first might be a better idea. She could tell him about the results of the test and get that out of the way for the first time. Plus, she still was feeling very uneasy about sleeping alone, and maybe she could talk him into crashing in her room, or not into being so adamant and let her crash on the floor. Yes, that was the first thing.

Grace took a few minutes to touch up her make-up. Not for Levi, but for herself. If she looked put together, she might feel a little more put together. Once she no longer looked like she’d been put through an emotional wringer, Grace opened the door and retrieved her DDD from the bed. She glanced at the cat, torn between wanting to curse at it some more or thank it, but unable to find a happy mid-ground just left him to his nap and left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To every reader who has ever wanted to yell at or be blunt to Grace, Player One says that he will accept tokens of gratitude in snacks as well as praise. 
> 
> Also, as of the last chapter posted, my entire fic collection in its sprawling incomplete glory has reached a combined 500 kudos. To someone who rarely shared her writing and is sitting on a second draft of an original novel, those kudos mean so much, as does every comment I wake to find in my inbox.
> 
> My dear readers, you mean so much to me.


	37. Levi's H3NR1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace goes to tell Levi about the afternoon's discovery.

Levi was flipping through one of his mangas half-heartedly. After receiving a text from Satan that it might be wise to give Grace some space, he was now wondering what else had gone wrong. He really wished that he had been able to talk Grace out of doing that stupid test with Satan. She probably did badly at it cause she was too tired. Levi knew how little she’s actually slept, cause he’d stayed away most of the night keeping an eye on her.

He wondered if it was like that every night, or if it was just worse because of how close a call it had been in the kitchen. Did Beel stroke her hair when she whimpered in her sleep until she settled back down? What happened on the nights she stayed alone? Levi frowned and flipped to the next page without really seeing it.

And where was he now when she needed him anyway? Beel was supposed to be taking care of her, that’s why she made a pact with him in the first place. At least that was Levi’s guess was that she made the pact with him in the first place. He wasn’t rude enough to ask directly. It didn’t matter anyway, Beel should have sent someone else, and not left her off-balance, alone and terrified.

A smile touched Levi’s lips. At least she had come to him. Grace had chosen to tell him what was wrong. Of all the other brothers, she chose to share that burden with him. He had been shocked when she had asked to stay the night, shocked but pleased. That she decided to trust him with how she felt and to keep her safe, that meant something to him. She might be Beel’s mistress, but Grace had been his H3NR1 first.

There was a knock at the door, and Levi set down his manga. “Password?”

“The Lord of Emptiness waits lonely in the Tower of Shadow,” Grace replied from the other side of the door.

“That was from two days ago,” Levi complained, his smile widening.

“Then you should have told me the new password before I left his morning!”

“Alright, fine. I guess you can enter,” Levi play grumbled.

Grace opened the door and walked into the room. “You better let me in, you’ve got my console hostage…” Her voice trailed off as she noted a new addition to his room. “I know I was out of it last night, but when did you get a love seat?”

“I used to have one,” Levi said, turning his chair. “But then there was an accident with the fish tank and it got wrecked.” That was a lie. He didn’t usually like to share his space. Not for long anyway. He didn’t want most people to get too comfortable in his room. There was a bean bag chair, and a couple other things to sit on, but nothing that would make people want to stick around too long. “Last night, well, it made me think about getting it replaced. Got it on Akuzon Prime, same-day delivery.” Also, a slight fib. Yes, he did get it on Akuzon Prime, but the earliest delivery time was supposed to be tomorrow. It took a little threatening and taking Lucifer’s name in vain to get it as quickly as he did. Even if Lucifer punished him for it, Levi would take it willingly in this case.

If Beel wasn’t going to be back today, and she was going to be stubborn about not taking his bed, well then it was time for a small upgrade. She shouldn’t be alone if she didn’t want to be, and there was no way he was going to make her sleep on the floor. Besides, it had been nice to be able to game side by side without any equipment lag getting in the way. Or a certain brother distracting her when she should be focussed on the game itself.

“May I?” she asked, inclining her head toward the new love seat.

“Of course,” he answered.

She still looked tired, and he could see something was weighing on her. She moved slowly like each step was a burden. Levi did his best not to frown. Grace sat down with her back on the armrest and brought her feet up onto the cushions. That way she could look at him.

“Any word from Beel?” Levi asked.

“No, Lucifer said Beel is away consulting an expert and may not be back right away. Apparently, I can’t even reach him by DDD.” Grace frowned. “That was one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. I was going to see if you’d crash in my room tonight, but since you now have this-“ Grace ran her hand along the back of the sofa. “Is it okay if I stayed the night again?” She looked up at him with eyes that seemed certain he was going to say no.

“I suppose,” Levi answered. “Just no bitching about what I want to watch or what I want to play. My room, my rules.”

“Fine, but you put in any hentai, I’ll take my chances with my nightmares,” Grace countered.

Levi pretended to pout, then snickered. Her smile was a little more relaxed now, but he could see that there was still something on her mind. “So how did that thing with Satan go?”

Grace didn’t answer right away. She bit her lip and looked up as she tried to find the right words. After a few minutes, she finally said. “You know how we were talking about getting me new equipment or changing my class this morning.”

“Yeah,” Levi agreed.

“Seems like my equipment and class might be just fine. According to Satan,” Grace paused. “Apparently I’ve been playing as the wrong race up until now.”

Levi blinked. Usually, he was totally on board for the geeky metaphor, but even he was going to need decoding on this one. Fortunately, she was willing to translate.

“Levi, what this test with Satan proved was that I am apparently not entirely human,” Grace stated it softly, her eyes watching his face for his reaction. “I guess I’m part Celestial.”

“Oh,” Levi said, blinking as he tried to process that bit of information. That was not even on the radar of what he thought might happen today. He had worried that because she and Satan were kinda on the outs, that something could go wrong with the test. Or that she would try too hard and maybe hurt herself. And he had considered that failing it entirely might make her feel even worse. Having it confirmed that she had no real gift for magic might make her depressed especially after their talk about how she hated needing to be protected. “That’s…wow.” Levi paused, then asked. “He’s sure?”

“We’re pretty sure. Satan thinks that it was lying dormant in my nature until Xantara nearly killed me and that in desperation I managed to access it.” Grace replied, still staring at him. “Explains how I healed so quickly from the damage I took, and why a minor spell made it almost impossible for you guys to find me.”

“Huh,” Levi’s mind was reeling. How did this go unnoticed by Lord Diavolo and Barbatos? They screened the candidates for the program, right? The only qualification was the student was supposed to be human. How did two of the most powerful demons in the realm fuck that up?

Grace was still staring at him, and she was no longer chewing on her lip. It seemed to be trembling. Levi tried to think if there was something he said that might have upset her. Nope. Nothing out of the ordinary.

“Levi?” Grace finally asked. Her voice was small. “Does this change anything?”

“Well, yeah,” Levi replied. “It changes everything!” Why did she look like she was going to cry? “Have you talked to Satan about training? Cause obvi, the charms teacher is an absolute moron and needs to be fired! How did he miss it? And Luke and Simeon, why didn’t they detect it when it happened? I mean Luke’s a baby angel with training wings, but Simeon should have his shit together.” Levi rambled for a couple of minutes, before he stopped, noticing a tear slide down her cheek. “What’s wrong?”

“Does it change anything between us?” she asked softly, wiping her eyes with her hand.

Levi looked at her, confused by the question entirely. Why would it - oh - then it clicked. The whole angel/demon thing. “You planning on lecturing me and asking me to repent my sins?” Levi asked.

“No,” she answered, her voice still small.

“You planning on smiting me with angelic holy fire?” Levi questioned.

“I don’t know if that’s on my skill tree,” she said, trying to make a joke of it.

Levi got out of his computer chair and sat next to her. He reached out his hand and while as a general rule, he wasn’t that fond of touch, Levi felt it was needed right now. Grace took it hesitantly. “If being part angel is going to be a problem, then we will just have to find you a sin and make you fall from grace.”

“Fuck,” she swore, and then she started laughing. “I’m part-angel and my name is Grace.”

Her hysterical laughter was catching. It wasn’t funny but yet it was so fucking funny at the same time. “Let’s see if this was a manga what would it be called? I know ‘That time I beat down a cheerleader and discovered I’m secretly a badass angel.’”

His joke also wasn’t very funny, Levi was sure he could do better, but it still made her smile. More importantly, no more tears fell from her eyes.

“Thank Levi, I feel a little better now,” she said. The weary look returned to her eyes. “At least, I know I’ve got you in my court. Now I gotta go tell Lucifer.”

Levi couldn't believe he heard that right. She came and told him before she told Lucifer? No wonder she looked so nervous. “Want me to come with?” he asked.

“Yes, but no. There is a private matter I have to discuss with him too, and I don’t want an audience for that. I can do this.” Grace leaned forward and wrapped him in a hug. “Thanks for being in my corner Levi. It makes the rest of this a little less scary.”

Levi froze for a second before he returned the hug. “You’ve got this.”

She released him and stood up from the couch. “I’ve got this." She repeated back. "See you at supper. Thanks for letting me crash in your room again.”

Levi almost replied with an anytime, but instead chose to say, “Just don’t make too much of a habit of it.”

The way Grace smiled at him before she left, made him feel sure that she heard what wasn’t said.


	38. The Cost of Pride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer awaits Grace's decision to his question about the pact.

Lucifer was in the kitchen. He had told Grace that he would ensure that the evening meal was taken care of and he had meant it, just not likely in the way she thought. As he sliced the vegetables, he kept a watch on his DDD. It was important to keep an eye on what his brothers were up to. If they truly wished to hide things, they wouldn’t use the full family chat text chain.

ASMO: Has anyone talked to Grace today? Zara says she hasn’t returned any of her calls or texts at all since yesterday? She’s getting worried.

MAMMON: I haven’t seen her. I dropped by her room earlier and she’d left her DDD behind.

SATAN: Today Grace and I reevaluated her innate magical ability. She asked for some time to process the results. I strongly suggest leaving her be while she does.

MAMMON: What the fuck did ya do to piss her off?

SATAN: Why would you think that I pissed her off?

ASMO: Cause ‘time to think’ comes just under ‘I’m fine’ in girl talk for something is seriously wrong.

Lucifer set down the knife and picked up the DDD, and texted Satan directly.

LUCIFER: What exactly were the results of this test?

SATAN: Those are hers to reveal, when she is ready and not before.

LUCIFER: I do not find that answer to be acceptable.

SATAN: And I don’t find it acceptable that I needed to actually run a test that should have been completed BEFORE she joined the program. We shall both have to live with our disappointment.

Lucifer growled softly and set the DDD back down. Just as he was about to pick up the knife again, it buzzed. He was certain that it was Satan wanting to further antagonize him, and Lucifer was already preparing several retorts in his mind when he noticed it was Grace, not any of his brother’s messaging him.

GRACE: Do you have a moment to talk?

LUCIFER: I’m in the kitchen.

He smiled as he put it back down. It had taken less time than he had thought for Grace to have come to the right conclusion. While he was perhaps a touch disappointed that she hadn’t dug in her heels and resisted a little longer, in the end, a few hours one way or another did not matter in the grand scheme of things.

One simple word from her lips would solve several problems. It would allow him to keep his vow to Beel to keep her safe, in the most complete way, particularly since he was not sure when Beel would return from his travels. It would allow him to undo the damage the Belphegor had managed to inflict while she was supposed to be safe under their roof. There really was no downside to this idea. All she need do was say yes, and Lucifer could ensure there would be no further embarrassing failures in his ability to care for her that Lord Diavolo could fault Lucifer or his brothers for.

His smile grew to a grin. Grace had yet to have actually used her pact with Beel in any way whatsoever. Of course, Beel never gave her a reason to. All she had to do was ask, and he would do all he could to help her. It would not be so once she agreed to their pact. Despite her impressive displays of stubbornness and willpower, Lucifer had no doubt who would be in command even with a pact in place. He was sure that she would try. Despite the evidence of her first three months living under his roof, Grace had since proved that she was much more than the meek, quiet girl. Yes, he was sure Grace would try, and he would enjoy thwarting her attempts to control him.

As he waited, Lucifer wondered what her soul would taste like. Would it be sweet? There were times that she was soft and tender, particularly around Beel. Or would she taste spicy on the tongue? He could not forget the way she swallowed her fear and stood her ground against the soon to be King of Devildom. No matter, he was certain that hers was a soul that would be worth savouring.

Lucifer heard the door open behind him. He pretended not to notice, and let Grace think that she had the first move. He continued to precisely slice the fungus before him.

“Wow, this restaurant must be pretty expensive,” she said, entering the room. “Even the kitchen help wears ties and dress shirts. Don’t think I can afford the service here.”

Lucifer turned to give her a small smile as Grace approached. “I resent the implication that I am merely the help. At the very least you could acknowledge that I am a master chef.” He could not help but noticed how weary she looked. Was it sheer exhaustion that had forced her hand? If so that was somewhat disappointing. 

“Forgive me,” she rolled her eyes slightly. “I thought master chefs would be smart enough to wear an apron and not stain their pressed dress shirts with indigo marsh lettuce.”

Lucifer's eyes shifted only momentarily to glance down at his completely immaculate shirt.

“Made you look,” Grace teased lightly.

He knew her well enough now to see through her use of humour as a front. It was understandable that she was nervous. Yesterday was a very trying time for her. He would forgive her the jest.

“I forgot that before I offered to help with cooking that you used to take your turn in here as well.” Grace finished closing the distance between them. She glanced up at his eyes and asked, “Do you miss it?”

Lucifer paused. It was not a question he had been expecting. He picked up the cutting board and slid the vegetables into the waiting pan. “Perhaps a little. While do I enjoy that being freed from this task often ensured I got more than a couple of hours of rest, there is a satisfaction to a meal that comes together exactly as planned, and seeing my family enjoy it.”

Grace nodded. “I understand that, though for me I think I liked cooking here because it gave me the illusion of control. I decided what the ingredients became, and in the beginning, I had very little control of anything else.” She snorted. “Who am I kidding? I still have little control over anything else.”

“Not true,” Lucifer countered. “You have control of Beel.”

“Is that why you think I made the pact with Beel? Because I wanted to control him?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Didn’t you?” Lucifer asked.

Grace thought about it and stalled by stealing a mushroom from the frying pan. She slowly chewed it, and her eyes grew distant as she thought about his question. “Yes and no. No, I did not make the pact because I wanted to have control over him. Yes, I needed to feel safe from him. I never did use the pact to compel him because I’m not afraid of him anymore.”

“But you are afraid of me?” Lucifer took a step closer, testing the water to see if Grace would back away.

“It’s not like you to waste your breath asking a question you know the answer to,” Grace replied, holding her ground, though he could see the urge to back away in her body posture. “And its a trick question. Anyone with two functioning brain cells is afraid of you.”

“And speaking of pacts, have you an answer to my question?” Lucifer looked into her eyes. He wanted to see her emotions at the moment that she agreed.

She glanced down, and he repressed the urge to growl at her. “I need another day to consider it.”

“No,” Lucifer said simply.

“Excuse me?”

“No,” he repeated. “You set the timing.”

“Therefore I should be able to change it,” Grace countered. 

There was a tone of indignation in her voice. Perhaps this was going to be fun after all. “Once you make a deal with a devil, you can’t change your mind.”

“Which is precisely why I need a little more time to make the right decision.” Grace’s body language shifted. Moments before she had been looking as though she would retreat at the earliest opportunity. Now, however, she stood a little straighter and she no longer adverted her eyes. “Something came to light when I took the test with Satan today which changes the circumstances.”

“Nothing that happened between you and Satan has any bearing on this particular question, and I will expect an answer, as you promised before you next sleep.”

Grace narrowed her eyes and glared at him. “You are wrong about that. Today’s results change the very nature of the bargain.”

“I cannot see-“

Grace interrupted him. “Lucifer. I’m not entirely human.”

Lucifer blinked. He must have heard that wrong. “Excuse me?”

“The testing today suggests that I may have Celestial heritage,” Grace said firmly.

No. She had to be wrong. He had seen her file. He had chosen her file. There was nothing in it to suggest anything of the sort. Lucifer shook his head. “Then Satan must have done the testing wrong.”

“I don’t think he did,” Grace argued. “I feel that he is right.”

“Because you feel that he is right?” Lucifer repeated her statement as a question. “Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds? No, candidates for this program were thoroughly investigated by both Lord Diavolo and by Barbatos. Do you think that you know better than them?”

“Yes,” Grace said with no hesitation. “In this case, I do.” Lucifer could see both anger and determination in her eyes.

“I will have words with Satan for filling your head with such nonsense-“

“Shut up.” Grace interrupted.

Lucifer took a step forward. “Did you forget who you are talking to?”

“No, I have not forgotten who I am talking to, or should I say talking at, since it is clear you aren’t listening to me!”

“Grace,” he said her name as a warning.

She closed her eyes for a moment, and Lucifer thought it was in surrender. He was wrong. When she opened them, there was a fiery determination in them, darkening them to the more violet hue. “ **Adolebique!** ” she said firmly. 

Lucifer had not expected that determination to result in an actual fire. On the stove, the pan with the vegetables burst into flames instantly, the vegetables singeing and burning. Smoke made the air hazy, but he could still somehow see her eyes very clearly.

“You want proof?” She shouted at him. “There is your proof. You’ve tracked every fucking test I have taken and monitored every step I have taken since Diavolo put me in your care. You know that I couldn’t do that, no matter how hard I tried, how hard I practiced. Almost dying changed something, or awakened something in me, and I repeat that I feel Satan is right in this.”

“Grace-“ he said her name, but now she was the one not listening.

“You know what, fuck it. You don’t want to give me a day. One fucking day to think about giving you a part of me? Even when I warn you that it might not be what you were expecting or wanting? Fuck you. You can have my answer right now. No. I will not make a pact with you.”

Lucifer’s shifted his shoulders. How dare she? Did she know what she was doing? Who she was refusing? “I think you should rethink that decision.” His voice was low, but there was no mistaking the warning in it. “We spoke of the consequences of not having a demon to help you fix the damage done to you in your sleep. Are you really foolish enough to risk your sanity over this?”

Grace laughed. “Do you, Lucifer, Avatar of Pride, think to shame me for being too proud to accept your help?”

“You said if you would not accept my offer, you would not seek out any of theirs,” Lucifer reminded her.

“I’m a woman of my word. I guess I’ll just have to get Beel to help me.”

There was a slightly cocky set to her mouth, and it grated him. “Perhaps you are already too far gone if you can’t remember that he may be gone quite some time.”

“Not if I call him,” Grace said, stubbornly.

“Clever thought. You are welcome to try, but you’ve never used your pact with him before, and I warned you that the place he is in is quite inaccessible.” Lucifer took a breath, to calm himself. The taste of the smoke in the air irritated him, but not as much as this turn of events. “I doubt he would hear your call.”

“Let’s find out, shall we?” Grace stared at him, and at that moment she was unafraid. He could see nothing but confidence, and oh yes, pride in her. “ **Beel.** ”

Lucifer held his breath for just a moment. There was a sharp pain behind his eyes. Her call had actually rattled the cage he had imprisoned the twins in. It had not been designed for a scenario like this. He needed to diffuse this situation fast. That had been a closer call than he would like to admit. They could not be set free, not without careful preparation and guidance. 

He smiled, having long ago learned how not to show pain. “You are upset,” Lucifer acknowledged softly. “I was taken aback by what you told me. Take tonight. Rest, and we will revisit this tomorrow. We will look into Satan’s claim that you may indeed not be entirely mortal.” Lucifer had no doubt about the last part anymore. He had felt the distinct signature of Celestial energy in Grace’s call to Beel.

Grace stubbornly shook her head. Her eyes were slightly unfocused and she tilted her head as if she was listening to a distant noise. “Almost,” she whispered. “I could almost…” Her voice trailed off.

Lucifer took two steps, closing the gap between them. “Grace, listen to me. Do not do this.” Lucifer did not know what a second attempt would do. He did not know what it would cost him, and worse what it might cost her. “Leave it alone.”

She shook her head again, “But he’s so close…”

Lucifer grabbed her by the arms and shook her. “I said do not do this.”

Grace closed her eyes, and for a moment Lucifer thought he had gotten through to her. Unfortunately, he was wrong.

“ **Beel** ,” her voice was soft, but command firm and the power behind it enough to find the weakness in the spell on the attic. 

Lucifer felt it shatter, and the broken remnants of his magic rebound at him. It felt like he was suffering from innumerable cuts in his mind, in his body, cutting deep into the heart of him. Even he, with years of practice at withstanding torture, could not manage to not cry out. The sound of his pain drowned out her own, as Grace tried to raise her hands to clutch her head. She wasn’t able to, Lucifer still held her in an iron grip.

“Lucifer.” The sound of Beel’s voice made him open his eyes. “Release my mistress. Now.” 

Beel was standing in the kitchen, with Belphie just a step behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grace's saga between all the timelines and the still incomplete main story (I'm sorry Mammon and Lucifer - I love you, we will get there I promise) is now over 150,000 words. My brain is a scary, rambling, twisty place. 
> 
> I'm excited to see how the next chapter plays out.


	39. Prison Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened in the attic before Grace summoned them, and what happens in the kitchen once the twins arrived.

“For the last time Belphie, no.” Beel had been trying to figure out how to talk Lucifer into letting both himself and Belphie out of the attic for hours, but Belphie was obsessed with a single idea and was not being helpful. “I am not going to encourage her to make a pact with you.”

They were both laying on the bed, and Beel was staring up at the ceiling. Belphie was positioned on his side, looking at Beel with a frown. “I don’t understand why you keep saying no. It solves most of our problems. Lucifer would trust that I wouldn’t hurt her, Diavolo would trust that I wouldn’t damage his program because Grace could order me not to. Best of all, the three of us would be together again, like we were meant to be.”

Beel closed his eyes and sighed. That last part was why. Why Beel wouldn’t encourage a pact between them. Why Beel hadn’t wanted to share the information that Grace was somehow connected to Lilith with Belphie. He had been afraid that Belphie would fixate on her in an unhealthy way.

The fear had not been unfounded. That one single revelation had flipped Belphie’s feelings for Grace. Where earlier Beel’s twin had felt disgust toward her, now he felt intense curiosity and excitement. The same desperation that had been poured into ending her life was now directed toward a need to keep her safe and not fail her as Belphie felt he had failed Lilith.

“Grace is not Lilith,” Beel said firmly.

“But, she’d not human either,” Belphie countered. “Maybe we’ve been given a second chance? This time, this time we will keep her safe.”

“I don’t think our father would be so kind as to give us or her a second chance,” Beel said. New testament bible was an amazing work of PR, but the God that created them had precious little mercy for creations other than his humans.

“We don’t know that!” Belphie exclaimed.

“I know that she is entirely herself, and not some pale imitation of Lilith.” Beel opened his eyes and rolled over to look at Belphie. “And until you care for Grace for who she is, not what she represents, I will not encourage her to make a pact with you.”

“Not fair,” Belphie said with a stubborn set to his mouth. “You knew what she was before you offered to make a pact with her. You can’t tell me what she tasted like didn’t influence your choice at all.”

Beel opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. He didn’t think that it had played a part in his choice. Beel wanted to believe that his offer had been entirely based on who she was, or his need to try to keep her from going into shock. He closed his eyes and remembered how she had recoiled from him in fear, retreating because of his nature. Sure, he had tried to keep everything he had learned from tasting her locked inside, but could he honestly say that it had no impact on his decision or determination to make the pact?

“My answer is the same,” Beel reiterated.

“It would be easier to reverse what I did if I had a pact with her,” Belphie said with a bit of cajoling smile.

Beel looked at him and arched an eyebrow. “If you managed to use my pact to help do it, you can use the same means to fix it.”

Belphie gave him a little pout. “Speaking of that, do we need to tell her I did it?”

“Yes,” Beel answered sadly. He was not looking forward to that conversation, but if she found out later, the outcome would be far worse. “Lucifer already knows that you did it. Do you think he would keep it a secret for your comfort?”

Belphie flopped on his back at the mention of Lucifer’s name and gave a little growl. “He would probably tell her just to fuck with me.” He made a frustrated sound. “How am I going to convince her that I no longer mean her harm?”

“I’ll help,” Beel reassured his twin. “She might not want to trust you, but Grace trusts me. I love you Belphie, but I will mean it when I tell her that I will break you limbs if you touch her mind without permission again.”

Belphie sighed, “I guess that’s fair.”

They laid there in silence for a while. Beel was trying to find a way through this complicated maze. It was a minefield of lies and secrets. The lie that Belphie had been away as part of the exchange program. The pair of secrets that Beel had already been keeping from her, both that he had tasted her flesh and that of her true nature. Belphie only caring about her because of that nature was not going to help at all.

Belphie rolled back on his side and looked Beel again. “I can feel your stress. You know I wasn’t trying to make things harder on you.”

That was one of the complications. In his way, Belphie had only been trying in his own misguided, slightly twisted way to help Beel. “I wish you had trusted me,” Beel admitted. “The fact you tried to murder her is going to big a big fucking hurdle.” He gave a small smile to Belphie, “In some ways, I’m more worried about keeping you safe from Grace than the other way around.”

“I know!” Belphie said in exasperation. “That’s why I think the pact is the only way this is going to work.”

“Are you sure it's not just because I have something that you don’t have?” Beel asked.

“No!” Belphie protested.

Beel looked at him. That was a lie.

“Okay, that’s part of it,” Belphie admitted. “We’ve always shared everything. Everything. Yeah, I resent you that she now has a piece of you, a connection to you. To bring the balance back between us, I need that same connection.”

Beel rubbed his face with his hand. “A pact alone won’t give you that same connection,” Beel growled in frustration. “I’ve spent weeks slowly trying to bridge a gap between her and I. Each moment of trust, each second of actual connection with Grace I’ve had to work for. You are an idiot if you think the pact alone will forge a relationship between the two of you. Until you stop thinking of her as either Lilith reincarnated or an obstacle in the relationship between you and me, you aren’t going to get anywhere.”

“Beel, I’m sorry,” Belphie apologized.

“That’s the problem,” Beel said. “You’re sorry for the wrong things! You are sorry that right now I’m in pain. You’re sorry I’m upset. You are not sorry you tried to kill Grace-“ Belphie tried to interrupt, but Beel didn’t let him. “If she was not related to Lilith in some way, you would keep on trying to get rid of her!”

Belphie just leaned over and wrapped an arm around his twin. Beel could feel that Belphie wanted to make things right but had no idea how to do it either. Beel hugged him back. “We’ll figure it out.”

They laid there for a while when Beel suddenly sat up. “I think she’s trying to call me.”

Beel could feel her just at the edge of his senses. She felt angry, or was it frustrated? Beel felt the pull to go to her, but the magic surrounding the room was stopping him.

“FUCK,” He swore. Why would she be in danger? Lucifer swore that he would take care of her! She shouldn’t be in danger!

Beel rose from the bed, and Belphie lagged only a second behind him. Belphie reached out a hand, grasping his twin’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?” he asked in a concerned voice. “Is she okay?”

Beel opened his mouth to answer the question when he felt the call again. Once more the room tried to block him, however this time the power invested into her summon found the chinks in the enchantments armour, shattering it. Beel closed his eyes and when they reopened, he found himself in the kitchen.

It took him a second to make sense of what he was seeing. Lucifer had his hands gripping Grace’s arms and he was shaking her. Both shared a pained expression and were making sounds of discomfort. Beel swallowed what he wanted to say, and calmly demanded that Lucifer release Grace.

Lucifer released his hold on Grace and she leaned back against the wall. When he saw Beel, Lucifer’s eyes went wide. At least at first Beel thought he was the cause of the reaction. Beel realized that he was mistaken when he heard Belphie speak from behind his shoulder.

“Hello, Lucifer.” The tone of Belphie’s voice straddled the line between smug and amused.

Beel could not worry about them at the moment. Right now, Beel had a more pressing matter to attend to. He pushed Lucifer aside, gently touched Grace’s shoulder. She didn’t react immediately to his touch. Grace held one hand over her eyes and was taking short shallow breaths.

“This?! This is how you protect and take care of her?!” Beel turned eyes full of rage to his eldest brother. The pain that Lucifer was poorly concealing bought him no sympathy. “Is this what your word is worth? What did you do that she summoned me?”

“Calm down Beel,” Grace said softly. Beel looked back toward her. She was blinking her eyes as though the light was too bright for her, and they were slightly unfocused. “Lucifer didn’t do anything to me, other than be a self-righteous asshole, and you don’t threaten him for that any other day. I’m pretty sure I did this to myself.”

“And what exactly do you think you did to yourself?” Beel asked, lowering his voice.

She smiled at him. “Lucifer and I were quarrelling, and he suggested that I probably wouldn’t be able to summon you from where you were because I’d never used our pact before. I decided that I needed to prove him wrong.” Grace turned her eyes from Beel and directed them to Lucifer. “I was right, by the way.”

“I stand corrected,” Lucifer acknowledged stiffly. Beel noticed that Lucifer’s posture was wary and that his red eyes were trained on Belphegor, who Grace had yet to notice the presence of.

“I didn’t know that it would hurt that much,” Grace complained, closing her eyes again. “If that’s the case I’m gonna need to be on death’s fucking door before I do this again. Feel’s like one of the cats is kneading my brain and not going light on the claw action.”

Beel glared at Lucifer once more. If his brother’s deception made it so Grace was reluctant to summon aid when she needed it, Beel would never forgive him.

“No,” Lucifer corrected. “Summoning a demon bound to you should normally be a painless procedure. Perhaps this was just a result of where he was at the time you called combined with lack of practice on your part and that you had already taxed yourself with the testing you took part in earlier.”

“You mean the test that you think that Satan performed incorrectly?” Grace asked.

“I stand corrected on that, as well,” Lucifer replied.

Speaking of the devil, Satan opened the kitchen door. “Did I just hear Lucifer admit he was wrong?” Satan’s tone was light, but his posture was defensive, as though he was already expecting there to be trouble. He stopped in his tracks, all amusement disappearing from his features when his eyes landed on Belphie. “Belphie? You are back?”

Grace opened her eyes again upon hearing the unfamiliar name. “Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t know someone else was here.”

Belphie took the opportunity to come closer, which made Lucifer scowl. Belphie ignored the eldest and extended his hand toward her. “Hello Grace,” he greeted, “My name is Belphegor, but my brothers call me Belphie. I’ve been-“ he paused slightly, “away. Beel has told me a lot about you.”

Grace reached out to shake his hand, but Belphie smiled and instead brought her hand up to his lips with a smirk.

Beel cleared his throat, arched an eyebrow at his twin, and made his displeasure known through their connection. Belphie just gave Beel a tiny wink and shrugged.

“So, Belphie, is it?” Grace asked, withdrawing her hand. He nodded and she continued, “What did you do to get on the shit list?”

Belphie snorted, and Beel smiled. Obviously, his twin wasn’t expecting her to be blunt. Beel was not surprised by her response, Grace was always less diplomatic when she was in pain.

“What makes you ask that?” Belphie asked, not dropping the pleasant smile.

“Lived here nearly four months and they’ve never mentioned you,” Grace replied. There was an awkward silence in the room. Grace frowned and looked at the four of them in turn. “I’m going to give you all a chance to get your stories straight and decide what version of the truth you are going to give me. My brain might feel like it's about to start dripping out of my ears at any moment, but it's still working well enough to read the body language in the room. Lucifer, you look like you want to beat the shit of the new guy. Beel, you look like you’re ready to get between them if necessary. Satan, you look surprised and a little confused, expressions I seldom see on your face. Wade through your centuries of family politics, and wake me in time for supper.”

She turned her attention back to Beel and wrapped her arms around him and he automatically responded in kind, holding her tight. Beel dropped a kiss on the top of her head, and she murmured softly into his chest, “I missed you.” Beel felt the words more than he heard them.

“You don’t need to worry about your nap,” Beel said, not wanting to let her go quite yet. “I’ve taken care of the person responsible.”

“One problem down, only another ninety-nine or so to go,” Grace said with a short laugh. She loosened her grip, but Beel stubbornly held on a little longer.

Once he let her go, Grace stepped away from him. She opened the door and started to step through it when she paused and looked over her shoulder at them. “Oh, and I suggest when you decide what you are going to tell me that you keep it pretty close to the actual truth. If my bullshit meter swings too far into the red, I’ll just make Beel tell me the whole truth. I don’t really want to have to do it, but I would. Excuse me.”

The door closed behind her and the lords all stared at it for a moment.

“Okay Beel, I think I might be starting to see what you like about her,” Belphie said.

“You might not like her so much when she turns that attitude you way Belphegor,” Lucifer stated. “I’m not sure Beel will be able to protect you when she finds out it was you.”

Satan hissed. “Belphie? How could it have been Belphie? He’s been-“ Satan stopped mid-sentence then nodded, “Not on the mortal plane after all then.”

“Not even close,” Belphie agreed.

“And the spell I felt break?” Satan looked at Lucifer. “Yours?”

“Mine,” Lucifer confirmed, reluctantly. “Summon the others. I do not want to have to explain this more than once.”

“Good,” Belphie said. “And once we are all together, you can then explain why a human girl tastes of Lilith.”

Both Satan and Lucifer looked at Belphie in surprise. Satan was the first to ask, “How would you know that?”

Beel looked down, not wanting to see the look on their faces when he confessed. “Because I told him. Because I have eaten her flesh. She tastes like Lilith.”

Lucifer sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. There was a look of shock on his face. Beel watched at Lucifer tried to tumble facts that only he knew into some semblance of order. Satan looked as though he was going to press for answers, but Beel grabbed him by the arm to stop him.

It was rare to see Lucifer’s emotions so plain on his face. He usually had much more control than that. That Lucifer’s control had slipped this much worried Beel. The same concern was not being felt by Belphie. Beel’s twin was taking pleasure in watching the emotions flit across Lucifer’s features. Confusion, followed by frustration, betrayal and then ultimately anger.

When Lucifer finally schooled his features once more, he looked up at his brothers. “After centuries of being knights, bishops and rooks on the chessboard, I suspect that we may actually be nothing more than pawns. Once we are all gathered, I will tell you the full truth, and keep no more secrets from you.”

Beel turned to Belphie, and their emotions were in perfect sync. The look on Lucifer’s face and the tone in his voice generated the same response from them both. Fear.


	40. Seven Lords Reunitied

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the first time in months, all seven of the avatars are in the same room, and for the first time in centuries they are about to be on the same page.

Belphegor looked around the room at his gathered siblings. It had gone about as well as any of their major gatherings had gone. Slightly less bloodshed than normal, Belphie thought as he wiped at his nose that was still trickling blood from the trio of blows Mammon had managed to land before someone had pulled him off. Slightly more property damage than average though since the sitting room would need to be refurnished since the furniture had taken the brunt of the frustration and anger the topics covered had roused in them all.

No one wore their human guises at this point. The emotions triggered tonight were too deep, too volatile to allow the demons to maintain them. Though well practiced at not allowing their demonic traits to telegraph their emotions, apparently here in the presence of family only, his brothers felt safe enough to allow such displays. As Mammon paced back and forth, his wings would occasionally snap open with an almost audible clap. Despite the outward calm on Levi’s face, his tail was snaking back and forth in agitation, occasionally stabbing at the couch he was sitting on. Satan’s body was still, and his eyes hidden. He had stared out the window for most of the conversation. Lucifer kept wary eyes on them all, doing his best to gauge their responses while hiding his own. He sat in a chair near the fireplace, distancing himself from them all.

All shouting and yelling had now subsided, and all of them were quietly processing Lucifer’s confession, and Belphegor’s own, in silence. The only sound for the last few minutes was the occasional pop and crack of the wood as the fire devoured it. There was a lot to process, and everyone had been missing chunks of the story. Even Lucifer had not been privy to all the secrets, though the one he revealed was by far the biggest shock of them all.

Lilith had not died from her fall. If it had not been for Beel, Belphie would have launched himself at Lucifer for keeping that news from them for centuries. Too weak to have survived the transition into a demon, yet she had lived. Lord Diavolo had stepped in and Lilith had been transformed into a human. Though she had been left with no memories of her Celestial life, Lilith had still lived. A long and full life with the man she had defied God himself for.

Oh yes, Lucifer had his reasons for not telling them. In Belphie’s opinion, none of them anywhere good enough. They would not have been able to approach her, and Lucifer thought that would have been too cruel. He worried that if they paid her too much attention, it might draw their father’s eye to her, and God might finish what he started. Lucifer tried to make himself a martyr, and that he had shielded them from this news for their own sake.

Belphie felt robbed. He felt cheated. It would have hurt to have never been able to approach her. It would have torn his heart to know that she would not even remember him or Beel, her closest siblings. In Belphie’s mind, the pain would have been worth it. To know that she had lived out her days happy. To know that she left a legacy behind her, a new family of her own making one filled with love, laughter and happiness, knowing that would have changed everything. Instead of continuing to hate them for bringing about her death, Belphie might have loved them because their lineage was now mingled with hers.

There were parts of Lucifer’s grand theatrics and speech that Belphie had not even heard, as one thought ran through his mind obsessively. How many of her descendants had he tormented, or killed in the centuries that he sought to punish them for stealing her life? What had he done? How much of Lilith’s diluted blood stained his hands?

As always, it had been Beel who had saved him, pulling him from that cycle of dark thought and despair. He could feel Beel’s love for him, a love he had always taken for granted, still being offered. Beel’s hand had rested on his shoulder, a grip firm yet feather-light reminding him that he was not alone, that he would never be alone.

When Belphie had returned his attention to Lucifer, the eldest was talking about the cost. Lord Diavolo had not done this for free. This had not been a gift, this had been a bargain. Lucifer had sworn undying loyalty and fealty to the Crown Prince of Devildom in exchange for their sister’s life. Belphie would have made the same bargain in a heartbeat. Though, knowing this did cast much of Lucifer’s actions in a much different light.

Of course, Lucifer would have strong feelings for the being that granted Lilith a second chance and take Diavolo’s actions in the best light possible. Knowing that there was an oath involved also explained the times' Lucifer had backed decisions the Prince had made, even when it seemed like Lucifer should protest.

Belphie was not the only one to have taken this news poorly. He had been surprised that the resulting argument had not woken Grace, but it seemed that she was exhausted enough that the screaming, hissing and roaring did not disturb her slumber. Belphie had frowned since he was mostly at fault for the fact that for nearly a month she had only been getting the most minimal of actual sleep. Beel’s eyes had drifted occasionally toward the ceiling with concern, and Belphie had reached for and touched the hand on his shoulder, reassuring Beel that Grace would not be witness to them all at their most angry and primal.

Then it had come time for Lucifer to admit that Belphie had not gone to Earth for the exchange program, but had been instead been imprisoned for months in their own home. While Belphie still felt a deep hatred for Lucifer for the action, knowing the context that his oldest, most powerful brother was bound by that damn oath made it make a little more sense. It had earned Lucifer no forgiveness, but it did at least make his motives less clouded.

Of course, Lucifer did waste no time after that ensuring that everyone knew what Belphie had attempted to do. Mammon and Asmo had not even yet known that she nearly poisoned herself in the kitchen, those that did know now knew who was to blame. The anger and disgust in their eyes when they had looked at Belphegor had been almost overwhelming but Belphegor had borne it without complaint. He knew now that he was in the wrong, but each of them were more than capable of being just as ruthless when removing an obstacle from their paths. It was impossible for Belphegor to change the past, that ability was far beyond his scope. All Belphie could do was heal as much of the damage he had caused, and try to make the future better.

The last revelation had come from Beel. His brother had closed his eyes and hung his head in shame, and admitted to all that he had eaten of Grace’s flesh. Beel had continued speaking, raising his voice to be heard over the sounds of anger from some of his siblings. Beel had told them that Grace was of Lilith’s bloodline, and bore Celestial heritage. Satan had then confirmed it, sharing the results of the afternoon’s test.

It had been silent since then. Each brother’s attention turned inward as they sorted through all the information.

Lucifer cleared his throat and spoke again. “I suspect that Lord Diavolo has been playing us for fools and manipulating us for his own ends.” Lucifer paused. “At least more so than usual. He is the Crown Prince and a demon, some manipulation is to be expected. I can see no way that it is an accident that a descendant of Lilith would be chosen for this program. Whatever his motives, it feels like a betrayal to me that he would involve one of her children in whatever game he is playing. Of all the billions of humans wandering the Mortal realm, one of hers accidentally finds her way here, and they did not notice?”

Satan turned from the window and looked at Lucifer. “But was it not you who chose her file?”

Lucifer nodded, “Yes, I was given twenty to choose from. Satan, I will give them to you. I would like you to see how many others that were given to me for consideration share that same lineage. Mammon, Asmo, you will assist him. As you are both comfortable with the mortal realm, you will have free reign to go there and gather any additional information that he needs. Outside of your RAD classes and duties that is, I would prefer we do not tip our hand that we suspect that something is amiss.”

Satan frowned, “There is still the matter of her training. Now that she is aware of what she is capable of-“

Lucifer interrupted him. “Yes, I am aware of the consequences of your little test. I will personally see to her training. I would trust no one outside this room to do so.”

“Mammon and Beel, do your best to keep her away from both Solomon and the angels, not that she is prone to seek out their company either, but her aura will likely read differently now that she is able to consciously access what was subconscious before.”

Levi looked unimpressed. “You are giving orders without first checking to see that we still trust you to lead us. After confessing that you are little more than a leased hound to Diavolo’s will, perhaps you should leave the room and let us make plans that you cannot betray to him.”

Belphie looked up in surprise at Levi. It had been a very long time since he had heard him speak with such authority. For centuries, Levi had been making himself small and distancing himself from the world around him.

“Levi.” Lucifer’s voice was a growl.

“No, I will not back down. You locked Belphegor in the attic for attempting to disrupt Diavolo’s plan. You placed the Demon Prince over family once, and I think you would do it again. If tomorrow, he demanded you present Grace hog tied and decorated with a bow, I think you’d do it,” Levi didn’t rise from his seat, but his body language changed. No longer was he slouching into the couch, Levi’s back was straight and his head held with confidence. He looked fearlessly into Lucifer’s eyes. “Can you deny it?”

“I am what I am, you know what my word means when I give it,” Lucifer answered. “But, don’t mistake my intentions. Belphie attacked me, and if his plan had succeeded he would have been executed. I didn’t do it for Diavolo, I did it to protect Belphie. You know how I feel about family.”

Satan walked away from the window and stepped into the centre of the room. “Levi, you should know better than to throw away a tool that has use.” Lucifer bristled at being called a tool to be used, and Belphie could not help but take pleasure in his discomfort. “Lucifer is part of Diabolo’s inner circle, and now that he is aware of the machinations, he might be able to discover additional information we can use.”

“Not worth it if he is not safe for us, or her,” Levi said firmly.

Satan pondered the situation for a moment and then turned his eyes to Lucifer, “What would take precedence? A pact or your oath?”

Lucifer thought about it. “A pact, but that option is not open to us.” He took a breath and reluctantly revealed, “Grace has already turned down my offer to bind myself to her.”

Beel had been a very calm presence in the room, despite his own feelings of anger, but at this revelation roared, “Excuse me? When did you offer my mistress a pact?”

“Today, and that is what we were quarrelling over when she summoned you,” Lucifer admitted. “It was the best course of action for the circumstances. I would have been able to combat the damage your twin had caused, and keep my word to you to protect her.”

“I had been gone for less than twenty-four hours!” Beel shouted. Belphie could feel all the anger, hurt and frustration. “You didn’t even give me a chance to fix things before you tried to take her!”

“I did not ‘take’ her,” Lucifer protested. “I gave her an option.”

Belphie laughed. Grace had turned down the firstborn, the most powerful of them all. Not only that, in the process shattered both his carefully crafted spell and web of lies. “An option she was smart enough to see for the trap it was,” Belphie said with a snicker.

“Belphie, I think it would be wise to keep your opinion to yourself, especially when your own position is so precarious,” Lucifer commented with a frown. “We still need to find a way to ensure Lord Diavolo does not choose to imprison you once more.”

“It would not be a lie if you were to swear to Lord Diavolo that I am reformed and no longer the destruction of the Mortal realm. I’ll play the part of returning exchange student brought back to help heal the damage done by an unnamed demon that was hurting Grace.” Belphie said honestly. “Of course, I’m more than willing to offer myself to Grace and be bound by a pact. Then she could command my obedience and Diavolo couldn’t say shit about it. Would it not be ironic if she accepted my offer after rejecting yours?”

“Belphegor, you are not helping. Be silent,” Satan said in an irritated tone, he redirected his attention to Lucifer. “I’m certain we can find a loophole to exploit. Diavolo may be the lord of demons, but we are no mere demons. If he thinks to manipulate and control us, Diavolo will need to reminded that six of us were among the most powerful of Celestial plane for a reason.” There was a general sound of assent in the room. Mammon cracked his knuckles particularly loudly. “Levi, your concerns are valid, but I don’t think we need to go as far as exiling Lucifer from the conversation. I trust that if it comes to a choice between family and an oath, Lucifer will once again choose family as he did when you defied God.”

The room went quiet once more, and this time it was Asmo who broke the silence. “And speaking of family, what are we going to tell our sleeping princess?”

Satan and Levi exchanged a look. It was Levi that gave voice to what they both were thinking. “The truth. All of it.”

Belphie winced. There were definitely truths he would prefer she not know.

Mammon protested, “Do we gotta? How much do ya think she can take? Not saying’ she ain’t strong. My girl is tough as nails, but this is a lot.” He looked around at the broken remains of furniture in the room. “If this is how we took the news…”

“I want to protect her too,” Beel agreed. Belphie knew how much Beel feared telling her truth of her full heritage and how he had discovered it. Beel was afraid that she would withdraw from him completely. “I want to hide all of it from her. I want her to feel safe and nothing about this is going to do that.” Beel frowned but nodded in Levi’s direction. “But, if we want her to trust us, we’ve got to start trusting her. No more treating her like a charge. We treat like her family.”

Asmo sighed sadly. “And if it breaks her?” he said in a pained voice.

“Then we help her put the pieces back together again.” There was far more confidence in Beel’s voice than he was feeling. Belphie reached for his twin’s hand again, offering physical comfort. “Cause that’s what families do.”

Mammon shook his head, obviously worried about the outcome of that decision, but voiced no further argument. Asmo looked skeptical and concerned but reluctantly nodded. “I do not envy anyone that job.”

“I will do it,” Lucifer said firmly. “Most of this can be laid at my feet, and it should be my responsibility.”

“No,” Beel argued. His voice was quiet and firm. “She is my mistress. This should come from me.”

“Us,” Belphie amended. “This should come from us.” For better or worse, Belphie knew he was part of a package deal with Beel, something Grace had been unaware of when she had made the pact. Belphie needed to face the consequences of his actions and support Beel while he dealt with the fallout from his own.


	41. The Politics of Hearts, Souls & Pacts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beel and Belphie bring Grace up to speed on many things.

Grace heard the polite knocking on her door. She was very tempted to ignore it and bury her head under the pillow. However, she assumed that she was being woken for one of two reasons. Either supper was ready, or they had decided on what information they were going to share with her. Both were important, though her stomach was really hoping that to was the former. That slice of pizza had been a long time ago. 

“Give me a minute,” Grace called at the closed door. She opened her eyes and turned her lamp on. Grace winced at the light and dimmed it a little. Obviously, the nap had not been long enough to make her headache to disappear entirely, though she felt significantly better.

Grace quickly combed her fingers through her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. She rose from the bed, crossed the carpet and opened the door. It revealed both Beel and Belphie. “I guess this means that you guys have agreed on what you think I need to know?” Grace asked, stepping back to make room for them to enter her room. “I was hoping it was supper time.”

“Not yet,” Beel said sadly. “But, Asmo’s cooking, so at least we know its gonna be edible.”

Grace could see that his smile was forced, and she suddenly felt a surge of anxiety. This did not bode well for the upcoming conversation. “Lucifer should have to finish what he started. I wouldn’t get to ditch meal prep halfway through.”

Belphie snickered at that, unfortunately, he wasn’t who Grace was trying to put at ease. 

She sat down on her bed and was disappointed but not surprised when Beel didn’t join her. The surprise came when he chose to sit on the floor and not take the chair. Maybe it was for Belphie’s sake since she didn’t have a whole lot of furniture, but her gut told her no, that wasn’t the reason.

Grace sighed and tucked herself into the corner. She grabbed one of the pillows and wrapped her arms around it. It seemed likely that she was going to need some kind of comfort. “So how bad is it?” Grace asked, bracing herself for yet again more bad news. While she couldn’t imagine anything topping almost killing herself with a tea kettle or finding out she wasn’t human, the look on Beel’s face seemed to promise there was indeed something worse to come.

“It’s a lot,” Beel said, reluctantly. “And it’s complicated, but it’s the truth.”

“That is what I asked for,” Grace replied. She took a deep breath and tried to steel herself the best as she could. “Alright, hit me with it.”

Beel hesitated and looked down at his hands. Belphie reached over and squeezed his brother’s shoulder. “I’m trying to figure out where to start.”

“How about with him?” Grace nodded toward Belphegor. “The mystery brother.”

Beel nods in agreement. “Yes, that might be a good place. This is my twin brother Belphegor, or Belphie, as most of us call him. He is the Avatar of Sloth. We are different from the others, connected in a way my other brothers do not fully understand or share. Belphie,” Beel paused. Grace had a feeling that there was going to be lots of that. “Is the other half of me. We share each other's joys, sorrows and pain on a deep level.”

“I thought you might have had a twin,” Grace admitted. “The decor in your room is pretty specific. Though since you never once mentioned him I thought your twin might have been dead.” If he had been dead, Grace would understand why he never spoke of his twin, but that he lived and his name had never passed Beel’s lips once, confused her.

“I didn’t talk about him cause I thought he’d joined the exchange program without warning and left for the Mortal plane without saying goodbye. It hurt to think about him, let alone talk about him and if things had gone the way I thought, you would have left just as he returned and you would have never met.”

Grace didn’t think that was a good enough reason. Beel said Belphie was deeply connected to him. What did that mean for the pact that bound her to her demon? Did her soul belong equally to the stranger sitting on her floor? However, Grace swallowed the question, since she got the feeling that this revelation was but was the tip of an iceberg. “Since he’s in my room now, something must have changed.”

Beel nodded and then paused “Before we talk more about Belphie, you need to know about Lilith. She was the youngest of us all, treasured by all of us. Lilith fell in love with a human, and when he grew ill, she stole from the heavens to heal him. For her crime, our father wanted her obliterated, not just dead, but to have almost never have existed at all. Despite what the Bible said, it was her love for a human that led to the war in the heavens and our fall from grace. Well, her love for a human, and our love for her.”

Grace wanted to reach out to him, and ease the pain that was so clearly carved on his face, but he was sitting too far, and before she had fully even had the thought, Belphie hugged Beel. It was he, who took up the thread of the story. “At the end of the war, we thought she had died. I hated humans for that. That something so beautiful and immortal was snuffed out of existence for love of creatures that lived and died in the blink of an eye to us. If it had been in my power your world would have burned then and there.”

Feeling threatened by the way he looked at her, Grace shifted as far back on her bed as she could. It hurt to see eyes that looked so like Beel’s glare at her with such hatred and animosity. 

“Belphie,” Beel warned in a soft chastising tone.

“She needs to understand where my hatred was born if she has any hope of understanding why I did the things I did,” Belphie argued. Beel shook his head skeptically but allowed his twin to continue. “For centuries my hatred grew, and I took joy in my new role. Tormenting humans, punishing humans, because you all needed to pay. When Diavolo suggested this program, however, it was the last straw. I could not bear to see them walk our halls and be treated as equals. I fought it, argued against it and was overruled by both Diavolo and Lucifer. Then I warned Lucifer that if they went through with this, I would kill the exchange students.”

Grace’s heart fluttered out of rhythm and she inhaled sharply. There was no malice in his voice, and his voice was calm as he informed her that it had been his plan to murder her. She looked at Beel. His eyes were closed, and she desperately wished she could see them. Beel looked smaller than she had ever seen him, his knees draw against his chest. Grace swallowed the lump in her throat and forced out a question to make Belphie pause in this horrific narration. “So I take it you were not a willing participant of this program you so hated, on Earth?”

“No, for my treasonous thoughts, Lucifer locked me in the attic. Where I have been able to watch the world, and been mostly powerless to interact with it. The spell even choked my link with Beel.” Belphie answered.

A feeling of dread gripped her. A demon who was the Lord of Sloth, imprisoned above her head, for the entirety of her stay in the House of Lamentation. A demon who hated humans. A demon who wanted the program to fail. “You,” she whispered. “You did this to me.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. “You tried to kill me. You tried to drive me mad. For the crime that I was born human?”

“For that crime, and more,” Belphie confirmed.

Grace felt sick, she looked at Beel, desperately hoping that he would deny it, but his eyes stayed closed. She turned her eyes once more to Belphegor, who was sitting calmly on her floor. “Why wait? Why wait three months?”

“Until you made your pact with Beel, I couldn’t reach you. Once you were bound to him, I could use my tie to him to manipulate yours with him,” Belphie explained. He was so calm reciting this fact. As though he was not talking about touring her.

“Beel,” Grace said her demon’s name. She needed him to be part of this conversation. “I assume something has changed or you would not have brought him to my room. Please tell me, why he is here.” There was so much subtext in those sentences. Please tell me I’m safe. Please tell me that things are going to be okay. Please tell me you still have my back.

“Last night, I asked permission to seek him out because he is the expert in all things sleep magic related. After I told Lucifer that I would go to Diavolo if he didn’t grant my request, Lucifer sent me to Belphie. I knew none of this. I suspected none of this.” Beel answered. “He’s going to undo what he had done, and he’s sorry for what he had done to you.”

“Are you sorry, Belphie?” Grace asked. “You don’t seem very sorry. What changed in less than a day that you don’t want me dead?”

“Everything changed, Grace. Everything changed. I would not harm a hair on your head, now. If you let me, you will never suffer another nightmare or sleepless night for the rest of your life. I would destroy anyone who would dare hurt or threaten you.”

Grace was shocked that he sounded as sincere in these statements as he had about his declarations of war against her entire species. “Even though I’m human. Nothing more than a bug to be squashed?”

“That is what changed. I found out you aren’t human,” Belphie explained.

“How? I didn’t take that test until after Beel left!” Grace countered.

“I’ve known for a while,” Beel admitted. “I’ve known since before we made our pact, that you weren’t human. That you were special.”

“How? How did you know?” Grace asked.

“When,” Beel paused to take a deep breath. “When you were lost, when we couldn’t find you, I…I did something, something that I hope you can forgive me for.”

Grace took a shuddering breath. Beel sounded afraid. What was so horrifying that he was afraid of telling her? “What did you do, Beel?”

“When Xantara attacked you, there was a piece of you left behind.” Each word seemed to be almost dragged unwillingly from his lips. “I ate it.”

It was minutes before she could speak. The one thing she had been most scared of. The most powerful motivator behind her choice to make their pact. The thought that brought her comfort when she literally cowered before him on the floor of his bathroom. The pact that would make it so she would never have to be afraid that he would devour her. Beel had offered her words of comfort knowing that he had already done it. 

Grace brought her hand up and covered her face. She tried to process it. She tried and was failing at it. Grace couldn’t fall apart now. She couldn’t fall apart now. No, not with Belphie sitting on her floor. So Grace shoved that bit of information, information that felt like a betrayal to the back, and tried to focus more on the fact Beel and known about the Celestial heritage, and why that would cause such a change in Belphie.

Her sentences now were fractured. She had a hard time putting the words together but she felt that they needed to press forward to the end. Though she was more and more terrified of where this was going by the second, Grace managed to ask. “Why did my heritage matter, Belphie?”

Beel was the one to answer. “Because you tasted like Lilith.”

Grace blinked and tried to comprehend that.

Belphie jumped in. “We found out from Lucifer today that she didn’t die but was given new life as a human. She lived on, spend her days with the man she loved and had children, grandchildren, an entire legacy. You are special, Grace. You are precious.”

The room was becoming suffocating but she didn’t want to move, not even far enough to open the window. She was afraid to move from the corner she was tucked in. The way Belphie looked at her after speaking those words, with what was almost reverence, was unnerving. It was in some ways more intimidating than when he calmly talked about killing her.

If Grace had not been clutching the pillow so hard, her hands would have been shaking. She had asked for truth, and they had given it to her. Grace wasn’t sure how she was going to process this, any of this. She closed her eyes. She didn’t want to look at either of them right now.

It took her a while to pull together words, but when she did, Grace looked at Belphie. She held his eyes when she spoke. “You are right. I am special. I am precious. And I am those things not because of your sister. I am those things because I am me.” It took a few breaths before she was able to ask a question she already knew the answer to. “Would you have regretted it if I died in the kitchen if I was not related to Lilith? Truth or I will make Beel tell me.” Since the two of them were connected, Beel would know.

“No,” Belphie answered. “I would have rejoiced if you had died. Lord Diavolo’s program would have failed, and Beel would have been freed from being tied to a human who didn’t deserve him.”

“How do you expect me to trust you?” Grace asked. “You don’t actually give a shit about me. You don’t even see me as me.”

Belphie moved from where he was sitting on the floor, and knelt before her, bowing his head. “Make a pact with me. Everything I am would be yours to command.”

Grace looked down at him. Her mouth moved soundlessly for a second. He wanted a pact? When she could string words together again, she tore into him with bravery borne from fury. “Are you fucking insane? You want me to give you a piece of my soul? My soul! The one you thought was worthless. You want to share my life?! The one you tried to end in madness and terror.”

“If you won’t do it for me, do it for Beel,” Belphie said, glancing up at her through his bangs. “Do not tear him between us.”

Grace looked down at the demon who had tormented her for weeks. The one who was trying to manipulate her now, using her affection for Beel as a tool to get his way. A part of her was tempted to grant his request. Not for the reasons he stated. No, if she had power over him, she could inflict torment in retaliation that he would be unable to stop.

Grace reached down and threaded her fingers into Belphie’s bi-coloured hair. She jerked on it, forcing his head up in an uncomfortable way. “You seek to use your twin as a pawn to get your way?”

“I would do almost anything to be tied to you,” Belphie answered, looking up at her meeting her eyes.

“Anything? I would be very careful using that word,” Grace said. “Do you have any idea what I want to do to you right now?”

His smile was an invitation and his eyes glowed with almost dark delight. “In some ways, I know better what you might be capable of that my twin. I’ve walked your dreams and your nightmares. I’ve seen the things that have broken you and those things that have made you stronger. Whatever you chose to do to me, if it bought me the pact I desire, it would be worth it.”

She tore her eyes from Belphie and looked at Beel. Gentle, kind Beel who for weeks had been the rock that made surviving here in Devildom seem for the first time actually doable. He was looking between her and Belphie with a conflicted expression on his face.

“Beel? Is this what you want? Do you want me to forge a pact with your twin?” Grace asked.

His eyes looked tormented. Beel shook his head, not wanting to answer.

“I need an answer, Beel.”

“I want there to be peace between the two beings that share my heart,” Beel said softly.

“Do you think a pact will accomplish that?” Grace questioned.

“I’m scared nothing will make that happen,” Beel admitted.

“Come here,” Grace asked. She patted the bed beside her. She was still angry at Beel for having dined on her flesh, even thought of it made her shiver slightly. No, for the first time since agreeing to their pact, she felt some fear of him. However, even as angry as she was, Grace wanted to reach for him, and comfort him. She could only imagine how he felt discovering out that his own brother was the one that was trying to kill her. Someone he shared the deepest parts of himself, trying to end the life of the human he was sworn to protect.

Beel hesitated, but eventually rose and sat on the edge of the bed. Grace slid from her protected corner until she too was sitting on the edge of the bed, careful to keep Beel between herself and Belphie. She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. and wrapping an arm around his waist. Grace closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of him. 

“You still want to touch me,” Beel breathed out. Grace suspected he didn’t even now he had given voice to the words in his relief, so she made no comment.

Once they had sat like that for a while, Grace once more asked him and this time she added the compulsion of their pact. “ **Do you want me to forge a pact with your twin?** **Answer true.** ” She frowned as her head throbbed at the exertion, but she needed to know what he really thought.

Beel shook his head, fighting not to answer the question. What next tumbled from his lips were evasions, not the answer she sought. “I don’t think he deserves to have a pact with you. He wants it for the wrong reasons. In time, I think he will care for you as you are. Even without a pact, he’s no danger to you anymore. He doesn’t need a pact to want to keep you safe.”

Grace didn’t reply, she waited for his actual answer. Both she and Belphie stared at Beel. 

Eventually, he hung his head and whispered. “Yes. I do, and it is selfish of me to want that. When I know you,” he looked at Grace, “have every right to hate him. When I know that you,” he turned his eyes to Belphie, “want it for all the wrong reasons. But you both share parts of me and my heart wants you two have a pact to make me whole.”

The tone of his voice made tears slide down her cheeks. The sorrow and longing tore at her, and she looked at Belphie and could see her own feelings for Beel reflected there. Whatever Belphie felt for her, the love he bore his twin was true and unbreakable. If she and Belphie could ever agree on one thing it would be to spare Beel pain.

Grace closed her eyes. Could she do this for him? Could she give a part of herself to a monster that wanted to kill her? Even with her eyes shut, she could feel Belphie’s eyes on her, both hopeful and expectant. Grace finally said, “I’ll think about it.”

She let go of Beel and stood. “Now, both of you get the fuck out of my room. Belphie, if I see you without Beel by your side I’m not going to be held accountable for my actions.”

Belphie rose and stretched. “Now if we had a pact, you could actually enforce that.”

Grace frowned, focussed and spoke very clearly. “ **Adolebique!** ” Her head started to pound but the sight of the hood of Belphie’s hoodie starting ablaze was worth it. While she had been tempted to let him get a little singed, Grace quickly countered it with spell she saw Satan use earlier. She wasn’t sure if physical pain to one twin affected the other. “It’s one thing to fuck with me when I’m asleep, it’s another thing entirely to do it when I’m awake.”

Belphie smiled at her suggestively. “Oh, I look forward to … fucking with you when you are awake.”

Beel slapped the back of his twins head and growled his name. Belphie just smirked and walked out the door. 

As Beel started to leave, Grace touched his arm. “One minute.”

He stopped, and his head dropped a little. Grace was pretty sure he suspected what was coming. “This is a lot to process, especially the part about what happened before we made our pact.”

“I’m sorry,” Beel apologized softly.

“While I process this, I’m going to give you an order, and I know you aren’t going to like it.”

Beel let out a breath. “Do what you need to do.”

“ **Beel, until I say otherwise you are not to touch your lips, tongue or your teeth to my flesh,** ” Grace compelled. That was going to have to be the last thing she tried to do today. The stabbing pain was back.

He winced as the command settled into place.

Grace felt horrible for doing it. She almost wanted to apologize seeing the wounded look in his eyes. But for right now, the idea of his lips near her throat was scary. “If I do it this way, there are still ways you can touch me, while I sort through this.”

“You still want me to touch you?” Beel asked.

“You weren’t the one that tried to kill me,” Grace answered. “Right now, I still want to touch you.” She proved it by closing the gap and hugging him tight. “This is a fucking complicated mess, and parts of me know that nothing you’ve done was done with the intent of hurting me. However, I just found out your twin, your soul-mate has spent the last three weeks trying to drive me insane. It is hard to wrap my head around the fact that you two are bound together. It’s hard for me to accept that you love someone who would do something so cruel. This is going to take time, and sometimes I might need space.”

She felt his lips on the top of her head. Grace chuckled, trust Beel to have already found a loophole.

“Now go, I think I’m going to lay down for a bit more before supper.” Grace let him go and nodded toward the door.

“You really okay?” Beel asked.

“Not even a little bit, big guy. Even for my stay in Devildom, we have easily beaten the record for emotionally traumatizing shit that’s happened in a twenty-four hour period,” Grace answered honestly. “I almost died, found out I’m not human, and not only am I not human, but I’m also the great-great-great-great-great-to-infinity-great-niece of the guy I’ve been cuddling. Once you leave I might break some things, cry, shower, nap and do it all over again when I wake up.”

“Grace,” he said her name sadly.

“Go,” Grace repeated. “I’ll be okay.”

“You lying?” Beel asked.

“Maybe a little. I might not be okay today, or tomorrow, but I think its totally possible at some point in the future.” Grace answered. “Do I need to order you to leave?”

“Maybe,” Beel answered. “You were so shook, so scared when I left. When I got back, I found Lucifer shaking you like a rag doll. Then I dumped all this on you.” He looked at the door, and then looked back at Grace. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“Please, go,” Grace asked, averting her gaze so she wouldn’t be swayed by his expert-level skills at giving puppy dog eyes.

He sighed. “Can we talk later?”

“Later, maybe not tonight, but later,” Grace agreed.

He reluctantly left the room and closed the door behind him. Once he was gone, Grace threw herself on the bed, and let the tears born of fear, exhaustion, and the sheer sense of being overwhelmed fall without anyone remaining to witness them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was terrified the entire time writing this chapter. It could have gone so many many different ways.


	42. Mammon's Two Cents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mammon is furious about the situation and steals Grace away from the house.

Despite her intentions, Grace was not able to nap. Too much had happened and there had been too many reality shaking revelations for her mind to quiet. Grace wasn’t even sure that she wanted to sleep ever again, not that her body was going to give her a choice on that one. If Belphie did what he did while confined and using her connection to Beel, what could he do now that is was unchained? What else would he try to ‘fix’ when he undid what he had inflicted on her?

She squirmed deeper under her pillows. There had to be another way. She did not want him in her mind again, not even to supposedly repair the damage. She didn’t want to make a pact with Lucifer and have him help either. Assshole told her she would be safe while the entire time there was a psychopath that hated her living above her head. What trust she had in Lucifer was seriously damaged at this point.

The door to her room slammed open and the light flipped on. “Get yer ass out of bed!”

Grace sighed. Even without hearing his voice, Grace would have known that was Mammon. “Fuck off,” she grumbled, her voice seriously muffled by the pillows. She heard her closet open, which made her curious so she peeked her head out. Asmo was the one who liked to rifle through her closet. What was Mammon up to?

A sweater was tossed in her direction and it landed on her head. “Come on, get up!”

Grace pulled the sweater down and glared at him.”What’s gotten into you?” she asked.

“We’re going for a drive, and if ya don’t wear a sweater yer gonna catch a cold and I think the weekend’s been shitty enough that ya don’t need ta catch a cold.”

“But isn’t supper almost ready?” Grace asked. Not that she cared if it was. There was no way she was emotionally equipped to handle a family dinner that now included Belphegor. She had been planning to ‘sleep’ through it and grab something a little later.

Mammon snorted. “Ya tryin’ to tell me you were actually gonna try to eat while looking at his smug face?”

“Well, no,” Grace admitted. “But now you’ve kinda blown my excuse not to go all to pieces. I was going to ‘sleep’ through it.”

“If you hurry up and put yer damn sweater on, then we’ll be outta here before its ready. I said we’re goin’ for a drive.”

Grace stared at Mammon for a second, trying to figure out what was going through his mind. Then, she decided to slip on the sweater. Dealing with just one demon for a little while seemed to be far less intimidating than dealing with seven of them. “Fine,” Grace grumbled.

An hour later, she and Mammon were sitting in his car, with it’s top-down. There were up on a ridge, eating take out and watching the street lights flicker to life in the streets of the city centre of Devildom. There was no sun here and the difference from day to night was much less striking, but there was a beautiful glow to the sky when the moon rose, and the stars just seemed to twinkle a little more majestically.

They hadn’t talked much other than getting their order straight before going through the drive-thru. Grace was okay with that, though it surprised her a little. Mammon was not one for silence as a rule. Usually, he seemed to need to fill it with boasts, anecdotes and stories. Tonight, however, he didn’t say much, and even with everything she was worried about, Grace still had a little room to spare to be concerned about him.

“You okay, Mammon?” Grace asked, after taking a sip from her milkshake.

“Fuck no!” he answered. Then he looked at Grace, “And why the hell are ya worryin’ about me for? Don’t cha got enough on your plate as it is?!”

“ Yeah, yeah I do,” she acknowledged. “Doesn’t mean I can’t see that you’ve got a lot on your mind, or tell that you’re hurting too.” She wasn’t gonna push. Grace didn’t have the energy to fight with Mammon to try to get him to talk. Grace turned her eyes to the city. “Can’t believe it was just yesterday that you took me to Denetri’s.”

“If I could turn back time I would,” Mammon said. “Never tell ya to take a nap, or maybe just not bring ya back to the house at all.”

“If I understand it right, the groundwork was already laid. It might have happened anytime if I was tired, distracted and running on instinct. Don’t blame yourself.” Grace didn’t take her eyes off the skyline.

“Course, it ain’t my fault. There is lots of shit that’s my fault, but this one ain’t on me. This is on Lucifer, and this is on Belphie, and the next time I see either of them I’m gonna-“ Mammon let the threat trail off. Grace could feel his eyes on her. “Ain’t ya mad?”

“I think I need to invent a whole new word for how I am right now. Mad doesn’t even come close.”

“Ya seem pretty calm,” he observed.

“You’re mistaking burnt out for calm,” Grace answered. “Trust me Mammon, I’m mad. I’m mad, hurt, scared, and furious. You want to know how upset I am? I almost decided to make a pact with that fucking son of a bitch. Not in order to stay safe from him. Not in order to use him against my enemies. No, Mammon, I almost fed him a piece of my soul just so I could hurt him. So I could order him to stay still while I made him bleed, made him suffer, fucking made him scream.”

Grace closed her eyes, embarrassed to acknowledge those desires within herself. Was she always this vicious, or was that a result of living here with demons for months? Grace didn’t know anymore.

“Almost? What stopped you?” Mammon asked.

“Other than he doesn’t deserve it? My soul, I mean, the torture I’m still on the fence about.”

“If ya need a hand with the torture, ya just have to ask,” Mammon offered.

Grace snorted.

“What? Ya think I’m lyin’?” Mammon sounded offended.

“I think shit is so much more complicated than that.” Grace drained the last of her milkshake and put the empty in the paper bag.

“I would totally burn him with branding irons if ya asked,” Mammon said defensively, his voice a bit sullen.

“If I was sure it wouldn’t cause Beel pain, I could do it myself. I did pass that exercise, I mean you might have had to hold him down for me, but I could do the actual branding.” Grace asserted.

“I’m down for that,” Mammon offered. “Where do ya wanna do it? We do have a dungeon.”

Grace laughed bitterly. “Mammon, if he was any other demon, this wouldn’t have been a fucking discussion. If he wasn’t a part of your family, one of you might have taken care of it without me even knowing. But, he’s your brother, so instead of being chained up somewhere being systematically tortured, I’m going to have to look at him at mealtimes.” She paused and wiped at the angry tears that were beginning to well up in her eyes. “You know what’s worse than knowing I have to see him every day? Somehow, because he is linked so tightly to Beel, he gains some access to me through my pact with him. Whether I like it or not, I am bound to him. I’m tied a monster that tried to steal my sanity, and end my life.” Grace slammed a fist into the dashboard of the car. “So why the fuck not make a pact with him and wrap him so tightly in orders that he can’t move?” She hit the car again because it felt good to take the anger out on something. “ Until he can’t think?!” She slammed her fist one more time. “Or until he can’t goddamn breathe without my permission? If he gets to put his hands on the part of me Beel has, what does it matter?!”

Mammon grabbed her hand. “It matters. Grace, it matters. He don’t deserve it. He don't deserve any part of you.” He looked at her clenched fist. “Now quit beatin’ up my baby.” He paused then added, “And I don’t want ya bruising yourself.”

“Sorry, I wasn't trying to hurt your car,” Grace muttered.

“If ya marred the dash yer totally paying for it,” Mammon said. “Though I’m glad to see some fight in ya though.”

“I’ve got fight, but I don’t have anywhere to focus it.”

“Lucifer,” Mammon answered with a nod. “When in doubt, focus it on Lucifer.”

Despite herself, Grace laughed. “Yeah, I think I can get behind that. Even before I found out that he knowingly let me live right under someone that wanted me dead, he was already on my shit list.”

“Fuck, I wish I coulda seen his face when you rejected his pact,” Mammon said with a big grin. “Musta been priceless.”

“He admitted to that, huh?” Grace said. “I thought he’d wanna pretend that never happened.”

“Ya shoulda seen how Beel looked when he found out. I think if it had been any other day, Beel woulda beat the shit outta him.”Mammon crowed.

Grace smiled sadly as her thoughts turned once more to Beel.

Mammon squeezed the hand he was holding. “Ya got some of the best and smartest demons around on yer side. If there is a way to make this shit work, someone is gonna find it.”

Grace nodded, though she had her doubts. She sat in silence, letting Mammon hold her hand. Finally, she said, “I guess we should head back.”

Mammon cocked his head. “Ya don’t wanna, do ya?”

“Not even in the slightest,” Grace admitted. “I’m not sure how I’ll ever sleep under that roof again, let alone untangle all the other messes.” Grace groaned and closed her eyes, as she remembered something important. “Tomorrow’s a school day, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Mammon affirmed with zero enthusiasm.

“So somehow I need to pretend that the biggest worry I have is the dance at the end of the week. Fuck.” Grace’s eyes flew open. “Is Belphie coming to the academy? What are they going to tell Diavolo about him? Someone better tell me lies I’m supposed to be telling. Fuck,” she swore again softly at the end.

Mammon let go of her hand and started the car. “Yeah, fuck does sum it up pretty damn well.”

Grace stared out the window and started tumbling things around again in her brain. She wanted to find one, just one of these problems that she could at least see a solution to. She was so intent on her thoughts that she didn’t notice at first that Mammon wasn’t going back to the house. Mammon was driving the streets of the city centre.

“Mammon, where are we going?” Grace asked when she finally clued in.

“You don’t want to go back to the house, so fuck them, ya ain’t going back. What’s bein’ asked of ya isn’t fair, isn’t right and I can’t fuckin’ fix it. Not tonight anyway.” Mammon answered. “You deserve to be able ta close yer eyes and not be afraid. We’re staying in a hotel tonight, and tomorrow I’m pickin’ a fight with Lucifer. There were some pretty big words tossed about today about treatin’ ya like family, well, you shouldn’t be afraid ta fuckin’ sleep in the family house.”

“Mammon,” she said his name softly and turned to look at him. Grace was going to argue but something in the way his face looked in the moment made her stop at just his name.

“I can’t fix anything, Grace. I don’t know where ta start either. But I can give you one night of peace, so yer gonna shut up and take it.”

Grace couldn’t help but giggle. “Or what Mammon? Are you gonna tie me to the headboard and gag me?”

“I promised ya a good night sleep!” he said indignantly, as he pulled his car up in front of the hotel. “If you want the kinky shit go talk to Asmo.”

“Thank you, Mammon. I mean it, thank you, but I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

“Fuck, do ya ever stop worryin’ about other people?” Mammon got out of the car and tossed his keys to the valet. He walked to her side of the car and opened the door. Grace took the hand that he offered and followed him into the hotel.


	43. His New Favourite Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mammon and Grace spend an evening together in a hotel suite.

Mammon was lying in the dark. He enjoyed this hotel. It was one of his favourite places to stay when he needed a break from Lucifer’s judgemental eyes. The beds were firm, the sheets were soft, and it was close enough to The Fall that if he stood on the balcony he could hear the music. Of course, normally he didn’t need a suite, but Mammon had figured that any little thing that might make her more comfortable was worth it, even if it was just the illusion of privacy.

Once they had gotten settled in the room, Grace had taken the opportunity to indulge in a nice long bath. Mammon had used the time to field a large number of messages from the others. 

Levi and Beel had accepted his choice without too much of a fuss, though Mammon could tell from the wording of Beel’s that he was jealous. Too fucking bad. Mammon only had so much pity for him. Sides, if Beel had really been thinking of his Mistress’s best interests, this should have been something he’d come up with.

Lucifer had, of course, chosen to be an asshole about the whole affair. Mammon didn’t really give a shit if Grace not feeling safe in the house hurt Lucifer’s feelings. Mammon clearly remembered being lectured in the aftermath of his dining room brawl with Beel by Lucifer about caring for Grace in a more complete manner. Which was why his final text on the subject with a quote. “My job is to take care of not only her physical well being but her emotional one as well. If you need a refresher on how that works, ask Satan to help you with the big words.”

Thinking of Satan, Mammon had messaged him to see how much his blond brother actually knew how Beel and Belphie’s link worked. Mammon hadn’t been able to remember if the fact Belphie was using Beel’s pact as a tool to manipulate Grace had been brought up in the meeting. Mammon supposed if he had to be fair, there were parts of what was said that was drowned out by his own growling. Mammon hadn’t thought it was right to comprise their pact like that, and if anyone could figure out a way to stop it, it would be Satan.

The only one of his siblings that Mammon had felt any sympathy for was Asmo. Asmodeus was upset because he hadn’t seen Grace at all since the shit had hit the fan. Mammon could understand how it felt. It was one thing to have someone tell you it was okay, but another thing entirely to be able to see the rise and fall of her chest, hear her voice and see her smile for yourself. Though Mammon hadn’t been sorry enough to let Asmo know where they were staying however he was willing to share that information in the morning and allow his brother to join him and Grace for breakfast. 

Mammon had to admit this was a horrible way to get to spend some time with Grace, but Mammon planned on greedily enjoying every moment he had with her. 

After her bath, Grace had joined him in the main room, dressed in a pair of men’s PJ’s he’d picked up at the gift shop. Her damp hair had been braided tightly at the nape of her neck with the occasional wayward strand curling around her round face. Mammon had been shocked when she snagged one of the beers he had purchased for himself and settled herself on one of the chairs. The chair was wide enough for her to tuck her legs up in it. Grace had looked at him, one eyebrow slightly raised as she brought the beer to her lips, silently challenging him to say something about it.

Instead, Mammon had just smiled to himself, as he rifled through the desk, hunting for the inevitable deck of cards the hotel kept stocked in all its rooms. Mammon grabbed one of the beers for himself and had settled himself across from her. Grace held her bottle out to him, and he silently clinked his with hers. Then he had shuffled the deck and started to deal. 

While Mammon enjoyed gambling immensely, he had chosen instead that they play some harmless, no stakes, version of rummy. Given what he knew of Grace and her ability to keep things to herself, Mammon had suspected that she probably had a solid poker face. Maybe in happier times he would take her out one night and put that theory to the test.

When her yawns had started to take over the conversation, Mammon had shooed her to bed. He had waited until he heard Grace settle, and her breathing to become steady before he availed himself of the shower. The water pressure here was another great feature in the plus column of this establishment.

Grace had been asleep for a couple of hours, but Mammon was still starring at the shadowed ceiling of the room. How had things gotten so fucked up so quickly? Yesterday, he had been helping her get a pretty dress and his biggest worry had been that Beel was the one who got to take her to the dance. Today, Mammon had discovered that he had almost lost her and that one of his own brothers was responsible.

Mammon turned onto his stomach and hugged a pillow. No, he didn’t want to see Belphie executed, but Mammon was a hell of a lot less forgiving than some of the others. Belphie trying to coerce her into a pact with him, made him feel sick, especially since Belphie was using Beel as a bargaining chip. That Grace was actually considering talking the youngest up on that offer made Mammon want to inflict just shy of mortal damage on Belphie.

A muffled cry made Mammon roll back over and sit up in bed. He fought the urge to go to her right away. Mammon would try to give her a little space and let her choose to seek him out if she wanted to. Mammon snorted at the optimistic thought. Grace was so damn private and tight-lipped, he would lay money on the fact she was probably sitting there hoping she hadn’t woken him.

With attentive ears, Mammon listened. It minutes dragged by, and he heard her get up instead of settle. The patio door slid open and then slid closed. Mammon frowned, he would bet that she wasn’t wearing one of the housecoats. Grace always was cold here, and he really didn’t want her to get sick. At least, that was what he was going to tell her was his reason for coming out to the balcony.

Mammon rose from his bed and walked barefoot into the main room. He picked up the throw blanket that decorated the couch and followed her outside. She didn’t look up at his arrival, Grace was leaning against the railings looking out at the city below her. By the way, she was breathing, Mammon knew she was crying, but he was planning on not mentioning that.

“Hey, ya tryin’ ta catch a cold? There are much better ways ta get out of going ta class tomorrow,” Mammon said, stepping up behind her and draping the blanket around her. “Take my eye off ya for just a second I swear and you get yourself into trouble.”

Grace took the blanket and wrapped it tightly around her body, but didn’t say anything. Nor did she make a move to go back inside.

“Nightmare?” he asked, though Mammon knew that answer. 

She cleared her throat before answering with a single affirmative word.

“Belphie?”

Grace shook her head. “Pretty sure this one’s all on me. Don't think he’s stupid enough to give me a nightmare like that when he wants me to agree to a pact.”

“What was it about?” he asked.

“I dreamt that Belphie was cutting my fingers off one at a time and then feeding them to Beel,” Grace answered. She fidgeting with her hands on the railing as though she was subconsciously counting to make sure that all her fingers were still accounted for.

While Mammon wanted to hug her, he settled for readjusting how the blanket was sitting and smoothing non-existent wrinkles in its fabric. “That shit’s fucked up,” he agreed.

“Please,” she protested. He could almost hear the way she rolled her eyes in her voice. “That shit is in the introductory chapter of my PE class.”

“If its no big deal, then whatcha doing out here, other than trying to catch a cold?”

“Thinking sad thoughts. The music makes me feel less lonely, and the breeze makes me feel like I can breathe,” she answered.

“I think I’m better company than the shitty cover band that’s playing,” Mammon teased.

“You were supposed to be sleeping,” Grace argued.

“Right back atcha,” Mammon replied. “Since neither of us are doing what we’re supposed ta be doing, do ya wanna talk about it?”

Grace shook her head. 

Mammon wanted to growl. If Levi were here, Grace would probably talk to him. Hell, if Satan was here, she’d likely do the same. “What if I promise not ta say a word an just listen?”

Grace snorted, “Mammon, I don’t think that’s possible without a gag.“

“What is it with you and gags?” he teased. “I’m starting’ ta worry about ya girl.”

Grace laughed despite herself, and Mammon grinned. Her amusement was short-lived. She heaved a deep sigh. “Can’t you just let me be sad for a while?”

“Nope,” Mammon answered without pause. “It’s my job ta take care of you. That means the mushy stuff too.”

Grace went quiet, and Mammon waited. Waiting was hard. Waiting in silence was even harder. He was not good at silence. It was really hard not to fill it with something. A terrible joke, or a funny story, anything at all but Mammon felt that if he did that, it would change the subject and she would just keep bottling what was on her mind up.

Mammon had just about given up hope when she finally started to speak again. Even though the music was faint, the words she spoke were soft, hesitant, and that music almost made them hard to hear. “Waking up from that dream, I felt small. Not cause I was afraid, but because I realized that Beel and Belphie have a connection, a relationship going back centuries, and that will continue on long after I die. Not just them, all of you. I forget sometimes how old you guys really are. I mean, you joke about it. Reference things that you did in the past. Asmo talks about Woodstock like it was yesterday and name drops the celebrities he’s fucked. Satan tells me about philosophers he’s drunk with over the years. Didn’t you once tell me about the night you met Bonnie and Clyde? My entire life, not just this year I live here, but my whole life is nothing but the blink of an eye to you. Will you even remember me?” 

She paused and wiped her eyes. Mammon was glad she was looking away because he had to do the same.

Mammon tried to think of what to say. How could he put into words how he was feeling, and not sound stupid. He wasn’t stupid. His brothers liked to say he was stupid, but he wasn’t dumb. He was impulsive, and he had somewhere between little and no fucking tact. Those things were true. Mammon also knew that he usually managed to put his foot in his mouth, and usually in the worst way at the absolute worst times.

He knew how he felt. The desperate panic he’d felt when she was lost and no one could find her. The jealousy he’s felt when he’d discovered that she had chosen Beel to be her demon. The sheer fury he’d felt knowing that she’d almost died alone in their kitchen, and the murderous rage that followed it when he learned who had done it. For the first time in the centuries, she’d talked about, Mammon had considered going against his siblings. He was so tempted to steal Beel’s girl. He was even more tempted to pound Belphie into a mangled bloody pulp that would hardly be recognizable.

How dare Grace think she would not be remembered? That she might not be missed? Mammon wanted to grab her by the arms and shake her. Was she stupid? Was she blind? How could he make her see what she meant to not just him, but to most of his brothers? Levi let her stay the night in his room! If that wasn’t a fucking miracle nothing was.

The song changed, and it interrupted his train of thought. He usually loved being able to hear the music-music! That was how he could explain this. “Hey, what do ya think about this song?”

“The song?” Grace asked. She tilted her head. “I like it.”

“What does it make ya feel?” Mammon pressed.

“Happy.”

“Why does it make ya happy?”

“Because the first time I heard it, Asmo was painting my nails. I think that was in the first week, and those days were so bad. But there was Asmo bullying me into a pedicure, and telling me gossip about people I hadn’t even met yet. About halfway through the song, he started parodying the lyrics and making them obscene and all I could do was laugh.”

“A song’s only ‘bout four minutes,” Mammon stated. “But it leaves its mark, don’t it? It changes ya, makes you remember, makes you feel emotions. It stays with ya. When yer happy, ya might find yourself hummin’ it, or singing his fucked up lyrics in tha shower.” Mammon went quiet and listened to the rest of the song. During the final chorus, Mammon turned Grace gently toward him. “That song was little more than a blink of an eye to you. But when you hear it, you are always going to remember Asmo painting your nails and-“ Mammon leaned over and lightly brushed his lips against hers. Mammon cursed himself for succumbing to temptation. So much for not doing something stupid. “That.” Mammon cleared his throat and had to cover his emotions the only way he knew how. Bravado and bluster. “Ya betta remember that. That song was when The Great Mammon kissed you.”

Grace’s face was wet from the tears she had cried, and her eyes still shone with one yet to come. She reached up and threaded her fingers into his white hair. Grace pulled him closer and gave him a much firmer kiss. It was tentative but still firmer that the ghost of a kiss he’s given her.

Mammon stood still, a little shocked by her action. Grace took that time to wrap her arms around him and lay her head against his chest. The blanket that had been wrapped around her fell to the cold wood beneath their feet. “And the Great Mammon will remember that was the song his human gave him a kiss, right?” He could hear a smile in her voice. It lasted all the way until that last word. The last word held a note of doubt.

“I think that song is gonna be my favourite earworm,” Mammon said, smiling. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. When the next song started, he started to sway, not quite dancing but just moving a little to the music. They stayed out there until he could feel her give a little shiver.

“We better get cha back into bed,” Mammon stated firmly. He really didn’t want to go back inside, but the last thing she needed was to get sick. The last thing he needed was the others to blame him for her getting sick. “Think ya can sleep?” Mammon felt her nod.

“Do you mind sleeping next to me?” Grace asked, hesitantly.

“Do ya hog the blankets?” Mammon asked.

“Yeah,” she admitted.

“Well good, cause yer a fucking popsicle and you need em!” Mammon grunted. He unwrapped his arms from around her and leaned over to pick up the fallen blanket. “I’ll grab the comforter from my room. You get bundled up and I’ll be there in a minute.”

There were no more tears in her eyes when she smiled at him and made her way back into the hotel suite. Mammon took a little longer out on the balcony, listening to the band as it launched into another song. He closed his eyes and thought about her kiss. Tomorrow he could worry about what it meant, or if it meant anything at all. Tonight he was just going to think about how it felt, and how it made him feel. Yes, Mammon definitely had a new favourite song.


	44. Spoons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace wakes up spooned with Mammon

As the last remnants of a pleasant dream faded, Grace yawned. Sleepily, she tried to puzzle out when one of the cats came to bed. There was a purring sort of sound, interspersed with a little growl. Opening her eyes, Grace foggily remembered that she was at a hotel. While that didn’t rule out a late-night feline visitor, it made it less likely. Did that mean… Mammon? Was this his version of snoring? She tried not to shift too much because she didn’t want to wake him. Grace closed her eyes and just listened for a little bit. Purring wasn’t the right word, neither was growling, maybe kind of a hum. Well, she was just going to stick with the word snore, cause nothing else really fit. At least it was a pleasant sound.

Now that her brain had settled the debate on what Grace was calling the sleep noises Mammon was making, it was now free to notice that there were far less pillows and blankets on the bed than when she’d fallen asleep. That meant there was also far less distance between their bodies then there was when she fell asleep It turned out the Mammon liked to be the big spoon when it came to cuddling and sleeping. One of his arms was the only thing supporting her head at the moment, and the other arm was firmly wrapped around her waist.

Now she was awake. Grace had not let anyone other than Beel that close to her before. A part of her wanted to pull that arm off and squirm away, but the other part of her brain argued that it was comfortable and the damage was done now anyway. He’d obviously felt body that was hiding beneath the oversized PJ’s he’d bought. Grace bit her lip for and worried about it for a few minutes.

Nope, Grace couldn’t allow herself to be comfortable. Maybe he did it all in his sleep and if she moved now, Mammon would have no memory of the tight embrace he’d held her in during the night. She opened her eyes and glanced down. She had to blink at what she saw. It was not just that he had an arm curled possessively around her waist. No, Mammon had one of his wings draped over her body.

The sight threw her for a loop. Grace had never seen any of them in their demon forms except for when they were agitated or angry. Of course, the bar for that transformation seemed to move every day. She’d seen Beel switch forms over a stolen pudding cup once. Was Mammon angry? Having a bad dream? Is that why he was making noise?

Grace froze, worried to move. She listened and his breathing seemed calm and relaxed enough. Odd, this was something different. She hadn’t even known it was possible for them to be in their demon form at rest. Grace settled back into the arm she was using as a pillow. Now that the shock was wearing off, and Grace was thinking it through, it made sense. This was their natural form, and the other was an affectation, a disguise. Did that mean that Beel never relaxed totally around her? Even when they slept? That he was always saving a part of his attention and focus in a bid to keep her comfortable?

She opened her eyes again. It was actually kinda nice to be able to see Mammon’s wings up close. She stared at them and while at first glance she thought the wing covering her had been still, the more she watched, the more she noticed that there was all manner of tiny movements happening. So many subtle shifts that made Hollywood’s best attempts look like a homemade Halloween costume.

Grace shifted slightly no longer able to resist the urge to touch them. Every demon form was unique, and Mammon’s looked so terrifying. The external structure of his wings was bleached white bone, with a horn at the apex of each wing. Inside that structure, the rest of his wings were black. She lightly slid her fingertips along one of the pliable sections. It reminded her of the softest leather, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the way it felt under her touch. It wasn’t cold like actual leather was, it was warm under her exploring fingers, and shifted in reaction to her touch. Curious, Grace moved to touch one of the bone sections, letting her fingers follow the line upward until she reached the horned peak of the wing.

Mammon cleared his throat and shifted back a little from her. Grace made a startled yelp. When had he stopped snoring? “I’m sorry did that hurt?”

“Nope,” he replied.

“Tickle?”

“Nope,” he repeated. “But, I’m pretty sure ya don’t wanna follow through where that kind of touchin’ is gonna get you.”

“Oh,” Grace said. “Oh!” She repeated when the words sunk into her still sleepy brain. Her face turned the colour of ripe strawberries. “I didn’t know. “ She didn’t know what else to say. Grace had no idea that they could be considered an erogenous zone. She wanted to apologize but ‘I’m sorry’ seemed to be wholly inadequate for the situation. “Umm…”

Mammon laughed and pulled his arm out from under her. He shifted himself away from her body, sat up and stretched.

Having not thought of anything better, Grace ploughed ahead with the apology and the inadequate words. “I am sorry. I’ve never seen any of you have your demon traits when you were resting, and I was curious about what your wings felt like. I should have asked permission.”

Mammon snapped his wings open, letting her get a really good look at them. There was a slightly confused look on his face, “Never? Ya mean Beel maintains his human guise even when ya sleep?”

Grace nodded.

Mammon snorted softly at that and then he fluttered his wings a little. “Do they scare you?” Mammon asked.

She shook her head. “They look fearsome and intimidating, that’s a fact but yours are-“ Grace paused, not sure about the etiquette of this conversation. She really didn’t want to choose the wrong word that’s for sure. “Fierce. Strong. But, no, they don’t scare me.”

He nodded with a satisfied look on his face and then reached over for his DDD. “I’m texting Asmo to let him know where we are at, then he can bring us a change of clothes. Why don’t ya look at the menu and order room service for three?”

Grace made a noise in complaint.

Mammon paused in his typing. “Did ya just say you wanna play hooky and not go school? I can get behind that plan.”

That was a pretty accurate translation of the emotion behind the incoherent noise she’d made. While she was tempted to agree to hide here, Grace instead, sighed, “No, ignoring this isn’t going to make it go away. Asmo and clothes it is.”

Mammon held his finger over his DDD and gave her a look. “Last chance ta change yer mind and stayed holed up here for another day.”

Grace grumbled. “I’m going to live to regret this, but send the message.” She crawled over to the other side of the bed and pulled the menu out from the drawer in the bedside table.

“Hope that’s the only regret ya got this morning,” Mammon muttered softly.

Grace paused in reading the menu. Did she hear him right? Did he think she regretted last night? Did he regret last night? Grace looked over at him and decided to test the water. “Did you say something? I didn’t quite catch that.” There she would give him a chance to talk about last night if he wanted to.

“Damn straight yer gonna regret this,” Mammon answered, not looking up from his phone. “Ya know he’s not gonna be happy until he’s dolled ya up for the day.”

Grace returned her eyes to the menu. So, he didn’t want to talk about it. She hoped he didn’t regret kissing her. Maybe he was upset she kissed him? He hadn’t seemed to mind. Grace actually thought he’d looked happy. Maybe she should just leave it alone and put on her mask for the day.

But…she looked up from the menu at Mammon. Maybe she didn’t need to start pretending quite yet. Maybe he needed to start so soon, but maybe it was better for both of them if she held off for just a couple more minutes.

Grace wavered in her decision. A large part of her wanted to just pick breakfast and wait for Asmo to be a very large, living change of conversation. Another part of her wanted-no-needed to address what happened last night. She tapped her fingers on the bed and looked at the menu with unseeing eyes as she wrestled the thoughts.

“Come on,” Mammon said impatiently. “It’s breakfast, it can’t be that hard to decide.”

That was almost enough for her to hide from what she was feeling. Play the part. Give him a hard time. Almost, but not quite.

Grace slid off the bed and stood up. She picked up the menu. She held the thick, fancy menu in her hands if only to give herself an excuse not to fidget. Grace kept her eyes down and spoke quietly. “Mammon. In about two minutes, I’m going to go back to pretending that I’ve got this shit under control. I’ll push back at Lucifer, who is going to want to micro-manage shit now that he feels things are out of control. I’ll have to be understanding about Beel wanting to hover and try to remember it isn’t his fault that his twin is a fucking asshole. I’ll have to let Asmo play dress up, cause that’s how he shows he cares, even when the absolute last thing I want. I’ll pretend that I didn’t almost die this weekend, as I try to make my girlfriends not worry too much about the fact I went radio silent for most of two days.” Grace stopped and took a breath. One last chance to back out, and just leave it there. Maybe he would just tease her for being so dramatic.

Grace swallowed and looked up from the floor. She met his eyes. They were so intense. The shade of blue would change, and the hints of yellow that would sparkle to a varying degree. Right now it was the deep blue of a still pond that she could easily drown in, with the hits of gold twinkling like gold coins that had sunken to the bottom. “The only reason I can do that. The only reason that I don’t feel like I should just give up because this is all too big, too overwhelming is you. I need you to know that, okay? That without you, I-“ No, she would stop there. Any more would be a burden that she wouldn’t lay at his feet. She looked away and tossed the menu on the bed. “Thank you.”

“Grace…” he called her name, but she was coward and hide in the bathroom.

She wiped tears from her eyes. Ugh, hadn’t she done enough of that shit yesterday? Those weren’t going to solve anything, were they? Grace turned on the sink so that she could at least pretend that she didn’t hear him call her name a second time. She dampened a cloth and washed her face. That didn’t stop the tears from coming back. Fuck.

She hoped he meant what he said last night. Even if he didn’t, Grace was glad he had said it, because after dreaming of watching Beel slowly devour her fingers, she had been so close to giving up. Because feeling so tiny in a world of immortals, Grace hadn’t even known what she was fighting for anymore. Mammon had reminded her. It wasn’t for Diavolo’s dream. It wasn’t for her connection to Beel. It wasn’t even for the temporary sense of hone and family living with the demons had given her. Mammon had reminded her that what she was fighting for, was herself and that at least he saw that as something worthy, something worth fighting for. Even if right now, she didn’t see it in herself.

Grace ignored Mammon’s very firm pounding on the door, and took deep breaths to calm herself. Once the tears stopped, she managed to at least run a brush through her hair. She wished she had something more substantial to face Asmo in, but the thought of slipping into yesterday's clothes was nauseating. Maybe he would at least he happy with the little bit of curl her hair had taken from spending the night braided and could do something with that. Even if he couldn’t, she would bet he came with a full makeup kit, and every hairstyling tool he could fit in a reasonably sized bag.

As composed as she was going to be, Grace opened the door.

“That was cheating!” Mammon declared with scowl, standing at the door.

Grace blinked at him and smiled, “Did you expect anything less from your human?”

Mammon’s lips quirked into a smile very briefly before he returned them to a frown. “So its showtime, huh?”

“Yup,” Grace nodded. “Showtime.”

Mammon growled a little. “First, you cheat, Then you make me call room service like I’m some kinda servant or somethin’ You are seriously startin’ the day on the wrong foot.”

Grace grinned. She walked up to him, and raised herself up on her toes just a little and kissed him on the cheek. She whispered in his ear, “It doesn’t matter what foot I start the day on, as long as I started it on the right side of the bed.”

If Mammon had a retort for that, it was lost when there was a knock on the door. It didn’t matter if it was room service or Asmo, Grace walked toward the door with a spring in her step. It was always nice to get the last word.


	45. Breakfast and a Makeover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asmo join Mammon and Grace for breakfast and helps get Grace ready for school.

Asmo set the bag down on the floor so that he could have a free hand to knock on the hotel room door. His other one was holding a garment bag with uniforms for both Mammon and Grace. He looked at the hallway and sighed. At least Mammon had both the good taste and sense to put her up in a quality establishment.

“One sec,” Grace called from inside.

She sounded somewhat cheerful. That was a good sign. Maybe Mammon was right that she’d really had needed the time away from the house to process and recharge. The door opened and Grace smiled at him. “Morning Asmo,” she greeted. Grace noticed the clothing bag in his hand and the tote on the floor. “How the hell did you managed to get out the house carrying all that and not get followed?” Grace reached down and picked up the bag he’d set down in the hall, before stepping back and letting him in.

“I have my ways,” Asmo returning her smile. She looked surprisingly normal. He hoped the relief he felt wasn’t showing too much on his face. He himself had struggled to process all of yesterday's revelations, so he had feared even one of them might have been the last straw for their dear girl. “Though truthfully, it wasn’t that hard today. Levi and Satan were researching something all night, Lucifer had to leave early for a face to face meeting with Lord Diavolo, and Belphie still had Beel trapped in bed.”

Grace frowned at the last bit. She closed her eyes briefly, took a little breath and then smiled at him again. Correction, she wasn’t that okay, but she was okay enough to be able to fake being well successfully.

It wounded him a little that she felt the need to fake it for him, but he was well aware that until the arrival of Belphie, his relationship with Grace was the most distant. He wasn’t sure if it was something he had done or just who he was, but though she played cordial, Grace definitely did her best to keep him physically distant and emotionally even further away. There never seemed to be the time to make an effort to change that status quo either. It didn’t seem that she was purposefully avoiding him, but especially now that she was making an effort to be a part of their world, not just survive it, more and more demons made demands on her time.

Well, if she felt the need to play her part this morning, then Asmo would do his best to play his. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Grace’s night attire. “Mammon, what have you done?”

Grace looked down at the carpeted floor of the suite and nibbled her lip, while Mammon glanced away. Interesting. That was not what he was referring to but did something happen between those to last night? Their body language was different today. Since their mystery tiff a couple weeks back, Grace’s body language had been quite aloof to Mammon, but there was no trace of that this morning. Also, he was wandering around in nothing but a pair of underwear, and while that wasn’t that strange in and of itself, he usually would have thrown jeans on for her comfort.

“Nothin’, you perv,” Mammon protested. “Not everyone takes the first chance to get their dick wet.”

Grace winced slightly at that and took the garment bag from Asmo. “I think I’ll get dressed while we wait for food.” She turned and walked toward the bathroom, pausing as she walked past Mammon. “Get your dick wet?” she snorted. “You should be so lucky, asshole. And you wonder why I have an affection for gags?” She shook her head at him, then continued on her way.

“Underthings and deodorant are in the zipped front pouch,” Asmo called after her helpfully. Once the door closed, he turned his eyes on Mammon. “I had been talking about the hideous thing she was wearing. How dare you waste a perfectly good opportunity to dress her in something that makes her shine. No, you had to dress her in the same frumpy men’s PJ’s she chooses for herself. Don’t even try to blame it on the gift shop, I know full well what kind of treasures you can get there.” Asmo sighed dramatically and sat down at the table. “But, now I’m curious, what did you do last night?”

“Nothin’ that is any of yer business!” Mammon replied.

“Did you do something that might be Beel’s business?” Asmo pried, noting the faintest hint of a blush on Mammon’s cheeks.

“Ain’t nothin’ that’s his business either,” Mammon answered. His eyes were still on the bathroom door. “Don’t make me regret invitin’ ya to breakfast.”

Asmo snorted. “You regretted it even before you hit send, but I thank you for doing it anyway.”

Mammon tore his eyes away from the door. “Yer welcome.”

“I know she’d not okay, but how’s she handling it?”

“Don’t think it's all sunk in yet,” Mammon answered, “She’s pretty focused on the Beel an’ Belphie situation and the attempted murder part. The angel and Lilith shit? I’m thinkin’ that part’s on the back burner. Oh, and our big bad bro better walk pretty soft for a bit…”

Asmo chuckled softly at that.

“She’s ready to put up a fight,” Mammon continued. “That’s what’s important.”

The bathroom door opened, and Grace came out in her uniform. “Did I really need a matching rhinestone bra and panty set for today?” She asked, taking a chair between the boys.

“How is that even a question?” Asmo replied with a smile. Of course, given a chance, he was going to pick the best for her and it would be something he'd like to see her in.

Grace rolled her eyes at him. “Are you done talking about me? If not, here’s the cliff notes. No, not okay. Beel’s twin brother tried to drive me to suicide and now he wants to make a pact. He used my pact with Beel to do it. I’m not human and am somehow distantly related to all of you. Oh, and Lucifer promised to keep me safe but knew there was a psychopath in the attic that wanted to kill me. Speaking of him-“ Grace almost growled that word. “Has he decided what set of lies I need to be telling today?”

“Yes,” Asmo answered. “It is decided that Belphie is back from the mortal realm, ending his stay there prematurely. The reason being will be that he came to help you with a wayward sloth demon attack. That imaginary demon will have been punished by Diavolo for his trespass.”

“That’s fucking unacceptable!” Mammon swore. “No. There’s gotta be a different way!”

“Please tell me Lucifer at least tried to come up with a better fucking story than that?” Grace asked looking at Asmo with frustrated eyes. “I mean, fuck, I get that he is your brother and you don’t want him to die, but it is asking a lot for me to paint him the hero when he’s the villain of this situation.” Grace scowled at him. “That he will be congratulated and praised makes me feel sick. Please tell me I don’t have to see him today?”

“Lucifer did try, but with Belphegor’s status as one of the Avatar’s, his return can’t be seen as some failing on his part. Him returning for sentimental reasons, or struggling in the task set for him just won’t do.” Asmo shook his head. “At least take comfort that it will be mid-week at the earliest before he starts classes, perhaps next week entirely.” Grace heaved a sigh of relief at that and Asmo continued. “Lord Diavolo will know the truth of most of it, but we are keeping the fact we are now aware of your heritage a secret for now. It was your pact with Beel that changed his stance on humans as far as the Crown Prince need be concerned.”

“Life would have been so much easier if Belphie had that kind of faith in Beel’s judgement,” Grace muttered.

Asmo reached over and took her hand. He noticed that her nails could probably use a touch-up. While Asmo knew that there would be no time for that this morning, maybe he could use it as an excuse to steal a little time later. He was starting to think that all of them were going to have to start thinking about making sure their human had some downtime.

There was a knock at the door and Mammon rose from his seat.

Grace’s eyes followed him as he walked to answer the door. “I know you are an underwear model and all, but don’t you think you should maybe put clothes on, and make them actually buy the magazine if they wanna look at the goods?” Grace called out to him.

“This way I don’t need ta tip them. Looking at all of this is gift enough.” Mammon shouted back.

Yes, something had definitely changed between them overnight.

Grace shook her head and turned her attention back to Asmo. “And they call you the narcissist.” Grace snickered, and then returned to their previous conversation. “Let me make sure that I’m with the program. Life is good at the House of Lamentation, and the human is still just a human.” She gave a theatric sigh this time. “No setting classmates on fire. Got it. I make no promises when it comes to my housemates though.”

The way she smiled when she said that made Asmo quite glad that there was at least one person, if not two higher on her shit list that himself.

Mammon returned pushing the cart of food. He poured Grace her cup of coffee, but set the pitcher down and made Asmo get his own. The food put a damper on the conversation and they all ate with only the occasional request for something to be passed around the table.

Once the food was finished, Mammon excused himself to change, and Asmo cleared the table of the dishes so he had somewhere to set the make-up and hairstyling supplies. “Now, let’s get you ready for the day. I realized that you had nothing with you when you chose to take this little road trip.” Asmo glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “You did choose this right?”

Grace laughed. “Did you think he actually kidnapped me? I’ll admit it was a very firm suggestion, but I know if I’d asked him to take me home, Mammon would have.”

Asmo reached to pick up a brush from the table. “And what did you two get up to last night? You can tell me. I can keep a secret.” Brush in one hand, and a pair of elastics on his opposite wrist, Asmo moved behind her.

“Asmo, you are a darling, but you are a gossip,” Grace chided gently. “There is nothing to tell, but if there was, you would be the last I’d tell.”

“You are no fun,” Asmo pouted, as he ran the brush through her hair.

“If I’m not fun, does that mean that you’re going to stop flirting with me every chance you get?” Grace asked.

“No! I’d rather give up breathing!” Asmo declared.

“Even if I’m your niece?” Grace asked. Asmo could hear the smile in her voice.

“Humans. You are so stuffy. One,” Asmo paused, as he drew her hair up into a perfectly balanced ponytail. “God made us. We weren’t born in any traditional sense. I am not genetically related to my brothers in any fashion, nor would I be considered genetically related to Lilith. Two,” Asmo paused again while he arranged her hair into a picture-perfect ‘messy’ bun. “Lilith was transformed into a human, changing her even further from what you might consider a sibling. Three, you are so many generations removed that if genetics were at play they would still be irrelevant.”

“Sounds like you put a lot of thought into that,” Grace replied. “So why call me family at all, then?”

Asmo, finished with her hair and returned to where he could see her face. “Don’t you want to be part of our family, princess?” Mammon was standing silently leaning in the doorway. He looked a little nervous as he waited to hear how Grace would answer the question. Her silence dragged on a little longer than Asmo would have liked, but Asmo busied himself with preparing the make-up he wanted to use while he waited for the answer.

“If being distantly related to Lilith is the only reason you would give me that title, then no, I don’t want to be considered part of the family,” Grace finally answered. “I’m starting to understand what family means to you and what you have done and will do for it.”

Asmo gestured with a make-up brush and Grace closed her eyes so he could start his work. “The family you have now. It’s one you’ve chosen. It’s the one you fell from heaven for. You would kill for it. Probably die for it. Don’t cheapen what it means to you by giving the title to me in some attempt to hold on to a part of the past. I’m not Lilith, and I don’t want to be Lilith. I’m Grace.” Her lip trembled a bit, so she stopped for a moment to collect herself. “So unless Grace is who you want to kill or die for, then no, I’m not family, and it's insulting what you have to call me that.”

Asmo leaned in and kissed her forehead. “Well put, darling. I’ll make sure the others get the memo.” He looked up to see Mammon blink his rapidly, and Asmo suspected that it was to avoid crying. Such a soft heart under that belligerent exterior. Asmo focused on Grace and pretended he saw nothing.

“Whatcha two talking about?” Mammon said loudly, announcing his presence as he joined them at the table.

Grace’s lips twitched up into a smile, but she kept her eyes closed. “I was telling Asmo that the gift shop was out of strawberry flavoured lube, and we had to get the raspberry instead and it gave you a rash.”

“I’m starting to rethink my position on the topic of gags,” Mammon grumbled, but he was smiling.

“Would you like some help choosing one? I’m a wealth of knowledge. Please use me,” Asmo said, intentionally laying it on a little think.

“I’d like to ta use one on ya,” Mammon mumbled.

Grace snickered at that and Asmo laid a finger on her lips. “Darling, I’m going to do your lips now, so please no moving.”

“Is that all it takes to make you be quiet? How come you never shut up when I ask ya too?”

Asmo could see that Grace wanted to respond, but took his time and drew out the process. Grace tapped her fingers impatiently on the chair.

Mammon laughed at the annoyed click of her nails. “I wonder what’s cheaper lipstick or a gag?”

Asmo pulled the brush away from her lips, and Grace wasted not a second in answering Mammon’s questions. “One, Asmo said please. I’ve never heard you use that word. Pretty sure it's not in your vocabulary. Two, a gag is probably cheaper than the high-end cosmetics Asmo uses, but if you want to buy me ridiculously expensive makeup and learn how to apply it right, go ahead. The time it takes for you to master the skill should keep you out of trouble for a couple of months.”

Asmo chuckled and started to put the containers and brushes away.

“So, what yer tellin’ me is that I just need to say please?” Mammon asked Grace.

“Asmo, write it down, Mammon said please for the very first time!” Grace teased. “Should we get a cake to celebrate?”

“Excuse me, girl, but I’m a workin’ professional! Of course, I know how ta use manners!” Mammon protested. “It’s just you don’t pay me enough ta deserve them.”

Asmo listened to them bicker for a few minutes. He knew that they were all delaying the inevitable. Them by bickering about literally nothing, and himself by slowly screwing on the lids to the jars, cleaning the brushes. All three of them could feel the press of time dragging them forward until they needed to leave the safe haven that was this room.

It was Mammon who was the first to acknowledge the time. “Okay, time ta start tha clusterfuck of a day. Grace, if its too much an ya gotta tap out, don’t be fuckin’ proud to do it. You’re tough, an ya don’t need ta keep proving’ it ta me. Message me and we’ll leave RAD in the dust, got it?”

“I second that, beautiful,” Asmo agreed. “The burden you’ve been given is too much to ask of anyone yet we’ve asked it of you anyway.”

Grace nodded and said with confidence, “I’ve got this.” Asmo opened his mouth to interrupt and he saw out of the corner of his eye Mammon do the same. “But, if I don’t, I promise I’ll ask for help.”

Mammon nodded his head toward the one bedroom. “Now get yer shit together unless ya want to maid staff pawning it off to any demon with a human fetish.”

“I’m somewhat less worried about someone using my underwear to jerk off and more worried about them wanting to make a soup base from it,” Grace mumbled as she headed back to the bedroom to gather her things.

“I did as you asked,” Asmo commented as he watched her. “There is a bag in your trunk in case she needs not to come home again tonight.”

“Thanks,” Mammon said softly. “I don’t think she’s gonna let herself. I think that she’s gonna see it was weakness if she doesn’t go home tonight. Like she’s runnin’ away or some bullshit like that. But, I want her ta have that option. Just won’t tell her she has it until she needs it.”

Mammon left Asmo’s side to gather his belongings as well. Grace came and stood at Asmo’s side. “Thanks for putting on my warpaint, Asmo. I look awesome.”

“You looked awesome before I did anything, how many times do I have to tell you that?” Asmo said with an exaggerated sigh. While the sigh was exaggerated, the emotions behind it were very real. She so rarely took any compliment at all and it frustrated him.

Grace didn’t answer his question. Her eyes were on the door they would soon need to exit.

Mammon reentered the room, his clothes from the day before slung over his arm. “Alright, time to go.” There was a slight hesitation in Mammon’s step when he approached the door. He opened it and then looked over his shoulder at Asmo. “She gets shotgun.”

“Or she couldn’t ride in the back with me?” Asmo offered.

“Nope. I ain’t playin’ chauffeur, and ya ain’t spending the ride trying ta get into tha panties ya brought her. Grace gets shotgun.” Obviously, as far as Mammon was concerned the matter was settled.

Asmo inclined his head to Grace, “Ladies first.”

Grace paused briefly on the threshold between the room and the hallway. Asmo watched as she took a breath, and steeled herself before setting over the line where one carpet changed to another. Grace held her head high, with dignity and looked ready to fight, no not just fight, win a war.

Asmo snorted softly as he followed her out, and closed the door behind them. That she was of Lilith’s line was nothing more than a curiosity to him. It changed nothing for him in how he felt about her. Grace was magnificent, and he pitied any idiot that got in her way today because if there was anything left when she was through with them, he knew that at least three demons would stand in line to finish the job. That was one list, he was proud to be on the top of.


	46. Just a Normal Day at RAD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace does her best to fool Devildom into believing everything is okay.

It would have been a lot easier to pretend everything was okay if the brothers would have done their part to pretend everything was okay. 

Beel had greeted her at the door with a giant bear hug as though they had not seen each other for weeks. Fair that he wanted to do it, but strange to onlookers who knew that they lived in the same house. She had known there were going to be questions from the ladies at lunch about that. 

Then there was the slew of texts from various avatars, asking for her to join them at lunch. Satan and Levi found out something she needed to know and wanted to meet. Lucifer wanted to have lunch and discuss her training schedule. Then Beel wanted to have lunch just to spend some non-Belphie time with her. Okay, that wasn’t how Beel had phrased it but, Grace could read between the lines. 

She ended up having to send a group text to the five brothers she actually liked and Lucifer to clear that up:

**GRACE:** I’m not sure what definition of pretending that everything is normal you are operating on but we are obviously not on the same page. Me going off with any of you at lunch is going to raise eyebrows not only from the general student body but definitely from my girlfriends who I literally didn’t talk to all fucking weekend. So, Lucifer, we will discuss if I will take magical training from you at a different time. Beel, how about I come to watch your practice? I normally don’t do that but by the end of the day, even demons living in the boonies will know Belphie is back and they’ll assume I’m being clingy cause I’m jealous of your twin. That way we can have a little time for ourselves when we walk home together after. Mammon, don’t you dare fucking pout when I walk home with Beel once he’s done practice. Levi and Satan, watch practice with me and we will sit in the stands away from prying ears and you can tell me what you’ve learned. If that doesn’t work for you two, then its gonna have to wait until I get back home.

Wisely, most of them replied with either an okay or a thumbs-up. The notable exception was Lucifer himself, and his reply was not made in the group text chain.

**LUCIFER:** While I am aware of the great amount of stress you are under, it would be wise to watch your tone and maintain the semblance of respect when communicating with me.

**GRACE:** You in your own way are using my own emotional connection to Beel for the sake of Belphie and the rest of your family. Perhaps you need to remember that I actually do have a choice if I play along. Odds are in your favour, you know how much I care about Beel. But, I suggest that while I cool off from the weekend which stripped me of parts of my mind, as well as shook my identity to the core, you get used to a little extra fucking lip. Don’t worry, I’m smart enough not to do it in front of witnesses.

Grace had checked her phone repeatedly after she had sent it, eager to see his reply. Almost too eager, as her frequent checking just about resulted in her DDD being confiscated by the instructor, but a quick promise to put it away and a repentant expression saved her that. After class when Grace had a chance to look at it again there was no reply. It had simultaneously made her both happy and nervous. She liked getting the last word, but Grace had been pretty sure this wasn’t the last word on the subject.

Once that had been settled, the rest of the day went pretty much as she expected. Normal was something Grace was pretty damn masterful at faking. 

The hardest part had definitely been lunch with the girls. While Grace had managed to make reasonable excuses for her social media absence and not returning their calls, she could tell that they were skeptical. It had almost been painful to lie to them. Grace hadn’t been friends with them long, and the lies she was needing to tell for the sake of the brothers were not small white lies. These lies could kill these friendships before they could even begin to grow. 

Still, Grace had stuck to the script. Between the excitement of Belphegor returning and the adventure getting to meet Denetri and his family and get measured for a custom dress, the time had just gotten away from her. Plus, she had spent part of the weekend working on a project with Satan.

Even more gut-wrenching than the lunch itself, was what happened right after. Fri held her back at the end of lunch, to ask if Grace had talked to Belphie about her dream problem. Grace had found it so hard to toe the party line, but she did it anyway. She had told her friend that it was one of the reasons Belphie was back so soon, but that she wasn’t supposed to talk about it yet.

Fri had beamed at her and looked so happy. She had said, “No one is better than Belphie at that kind of thing. If someone is screwing with you, he’ll be able to figure out who and stop them. So glad he’s home!”

Grace had just fixed a smile on her face and only nodded in reply. She hadn’t trusted herself with words. Grace had been afraid the wrong ones would tumble from her lips. Fri had given her a second, tighter squeeze before bouncing away happily.

After that torture, the rest of the day could have almost been mistaken for normal. At least from the outside anyway.

While there was some sense of relief when the final bell rang, it did not make the pressure on her chest lessen. One set of trials had been passed, but once she got home there was a second more challenging set to overcome. At least before that, Grace was going to be able to do something to make Beel’s day.

Beel was leaning on the wall outside her class waiting for her. His smile widened as she walked through the door, but Grace could see in his eyes that he was nervous. Beel held his hand out to take her bag, but she instead slipped her unencumbered hand into his. In the back of her head, the sickening crunches and snaps from the nightmare echoed, but she didn’t let that moment of apprehension dim her smile. It had been just a fucking dream. 

“So, how was your day?” Grace asked, squeezing his hand slightly. 

“Too long,” Beel complained. He tugged on her hand, pulling Grace into a hug. “I was really worried about you when you didn’t come home last night.” He lightly kissed her hair. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?” she asked, glancing up at his face.

“Pretend to be normal,” Beel answered. “I don’t think I’m doing a good job.”

“That’s cause you aren’t that good of a liar,” Grace said with a smile. “But I like that about you.”

She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. For the moment, Grace could imagine nothing had changed. That he was about to go off to practice, and she would go home and take care of her homework so that they could watch a couple episodes later that night. But, that wasn’t going to happen. Not today, not tomorrow, but Grace at least tried to hold onto the hope that there was a way through this situation where she got to keep this feeling. The warm feeling of being safe cradled against his chest.

Reluctantly, she was the one to pull away first. “Come on, if I make you late for practice, the coach might ban me from ever watching again.” Grace paused and grinned up at him. “On second thought, maybe that’s a great plan. I’m sure I could come up with a way to make you late. Then you’d have to stop giving me puppy eyes when I don’t come.”

“No way. I am someday going to win this argument and when I do you will not be banned from the stands. One day you will come and watch my practices.” He paused and gave her a determined grin. “Well if not the practices, I will at least win on the topic of games.” Beel slowly started to lead her to the stadium. “Besides, now that Zara’s on the cheerleading squad shouldn’t you be showing up to morally support your friend?”

“Said friend is a succubus. I don’t think ‘morally support’ is the right phrase to use, Beel.” 

When they walked together, hand in hand like this, Beel was usually really good about matching his pace to hers. Today, however, she was the one walking faster. Grace stopped just outside of their destination. “Hey,” she said softly, pressing his back against the wall. She looked and saw that no one was coming. “You scared?” Before he had a chance to be manly and deny it, Grace pressed onward. “It’s okay if you are, cause I’m terrified.” Grace dropped her bag to the ground and took both his hands in hers. “Shit’s fucked up and we both know it. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up on this…on us. Things are going to change and we can’t stop that. But, you mean…” Grace paused, not sure what words she wanted to say. So she just repeated, “I’m not giving up on us…whatever us is, kay? Not without a fight.”

She tried to sound confident for his sake. Grace had no idea how they were going to overcome any of the new challenges, but she knew she was going to try. 

He looked down at her and gave her a frustrated smile. “You know our pact is the only thing stopping me from kissing you right now, right?”

Grace rose up and kissed as close as she could to the corner of his mouth. “Nothing stopping me from kissing you though.” Beel beamed at her. Grace grinned and nodded her head toward the entrance. “Go get changed for practise, and I’ll see you after.”

“Nope,” Beel said firmly.

“Nope?” Grace questioned. 

“Nope, you gotta walk in with me,” Beel said firmly. “And maybe do that again in front of the team.”

Grace laughed and humoured him. Though, much the Beel’s dismay the kiss on the cheek was nothing more than a quick affectionate peck.

She waved to Zara, who was stretching on the field before the cheerleading practice started, then climbed the steps of the bleachers. Grace could feel eyes on her, and it made the hair on her neck rise. Sure Xantara and Ari weren’t on the squad, but two of their best friends still were. Vierra, and Oriana, and they both still hated her for the twin sins of being born human, and not having the good sense of dying like planned.

Grace settled into place to wait for Levi and Satan and looked down at the field. Vierra’s bright orange curls made her easy to spot in the distance, and her cat slitted green-eyes almost glowing as she glared up at Grace. Oriana’s lupine tail was bristled, clearly signalling her aggravation at Grace’s presence, but her attention was already focussed on waiting for the players to emerge from the changing room. That one was one of the few of Xantara’s inner circle that was currently single, and Grace could see that she was eager to remedy that situation.

Levi’s voice drew her attention as he climbed the stairs up to your perch. “I can’t believe you are making me sit out here, and watch sports.”

“I’m not making you do anything Levi, and stop pretending you don’t know how the game works. You’ve got sports games on your shelf,” Grace replied. “And you don’t have to watch if you don’t want to.”

“He’s got to protest. This involves two of his least favourite things, fresh air and people. If he doesn’t complain I believe he loses imaginary internet points,” Satan commented from a few steps behind Levi.

Grace laughed. “Okay Levi, I hear and acknowledge that this is entirely against your will and will be your witness in any forum, chat room or game discussion if necessary.”

Levi sat down on the bleacher in front of her with his back had to the field, and Satan sat down next to her. There was a moment of awkward silence.

Grace took a breath. “So is the silence cause your afraid to ask how I’m doing or is what you have to tell me that bad?”

Satan and Levi exchanged a look. Levi shrugged, “Both, I guess.”

“Well, I’ll save you the trouble of asking, nope not okay but I’m not down for the count. Let’s move on to what is serious enough to make Levi come sit outside.”

Satan was the one to talk. “How much do you know about pacts?”

“Just the basics, or at least the basics you would disclose to a human anyway. I give up a part of my soul and in exchange, I gain the ability to command a demon.”

Satan nods, “That is in a nutshell, accurate, but as you guessed incomplete. The ability to command a demon is a complex thing. Some demons will look for any loophole in your commands. We also generally don’t advertise that it takes a certain amount of willpower, or lacking that, magical ability to make a demon obey a command they really don’t want to. A lot of humans get into a pact, and then realize that they aren’t quite getting what they think they’ve paid for, and as demons, we’ve set it up that way. So, it is really easy for a human to break a pact with a demon, but there is a catch.”

Levi piped up, “No refunds. You can end your connection to the demon at any time, but the demon keeps the part of your soul you traded to them.”

“Why are we talking about ending pacts? I don’t want to end my pact with Beel, exactly the opposite. I just want his twin to stop using it. I didn’t give it to him.” Grace’s voice was filled with frustration.

“That’s the problem,” Satan said, his voice a touch sad. “We’re not sure how to prevent him from continuing to do so. So, your first option is to end your pact with Beel.” Satan looked over to Levi. “We don’t want you to use that option.”

“What’s the downside? Still don’t want to do that, but there has to be a downside to that option with the looks you are exchanging.” Grace was finding it harder to pretend that things were under control with the way Satan and Levi were acting. She started to make a point of paying attention to her breathing.

“Grace, we like you just the way you are, but losing a chunk of your soul, it changes you. You don’t feel that right now because the pact is like a power cord. You are still connected to that part of you. If you break the pact, then you’ll change. Be diminished. Less,” Levi explained with a sad look. “And even if he wanted to give it back, Beel is literally incapable of doing it. We can’t give up a soul we’ve taken. None of us could.”

Grace looked down at her shoes and let that sink in. She had not really thought about the soul part of the pact. At the time, she’d been scared and in shock, and sure she had felt a little pain when they made the pact. But, Satan and Levi were right, she never really felt different after the pact was made. The few times Grace had ever bothered thinking her soul and the pact, she had just assumed that it was something that would take effect after she died.

She lifted her gaze to look at the field and then searched it for Beel. At least, when she made a pact foolishly uninformed, it was to him. He had not taken advantage of it once. He had followed not her commands since until the weekend she’d never given one, but her wishes. Never taken anything more than she’d been given. For the first time, Grace realized exactly how lucky she had been that night.

Her mind wandered to Lucifer. Now, Beel had been trying to draw her back from the edge of losing her mind. It was understandable that he might not mention the fine print. Lucifer, on the other hand, he had the time to do so if he had felt so inclined. Grace clenched a fist. Fucking asshole. Grace took a breath, added that train of thought to the pile of reasons she would like to set Lucifer on fire, and then tried to focus on this conversation.

“Okay guys, I’m kinda lost. Was this supposed to be the good news or the bad news? Or are we having a bad news, worse news, kind of situation?” Grace asked looking first at Levi and then to Satan.

“Kinda depends,” Levi admitted.

“Ending your pact with Beel has too many downsides. Yes, you would be safe from Belphie’s manipulations, but Levi and I agree that the cost is too great. And, despite looking, we found no way to limit Belphie from exploiting your pact through your connection to Beel.” Satan reiterated. “However, something Mammon said made me think. He complained that it wasn’t fair that Belphie was using a pact that did not belong to him. It made me wonder if there was any sort of precedent for that sort of complaint.”

“Which was when he dragged me out of bed to help him sort through dusty tomes,” Levi interjected.

Satan ignored him and continued. “There have been six instances in which clever and resourceful sorcerers have managed to have their pacts and the associated souls transferred to another demon. Which is enough that there is actual precedence and ritual to follow.”

“Transfer?” Grace asked, confused.

Levi rolled his eyes at the wordy way Satan was explaining things. “Boils down to if you feel the terms of your pact, written, verbal or implied have been violated, you can seek out a champion demon who will fight for the right to take over your pact.”

Grace turned her attention inward for a second, and held up her hand, hopefully indicating that they stop talking. Honestly, Grace might have looked like she was conducting an orchestra or giving them the bird. She had no clue. They had just told her how screwed she was for getting into a pact in the first place, and now they were talking about trading that pact like it was a baseball card or something. 

She hid her face in her hands and rubbed her face. “Not saying that I want this to happen, but what happens if my champion loses?” The silence was defining. Grace peeked between her fingers. “Satan, what happens if my champion loses?”

“Your life would be forfeit, and the current holder of your pact would gain your soul in its entirety,” Satan said softly.

“Fuck,” she swore, just as softly. “Let me see if I’ve got this straight. One, I break my pact with Beel. Belphie can’t fuck with me, but I immediately have to deal with the effects of my damaged soul, in addition to the damage I have yet to heal to my mind after Belphie’s assault. Two, I keep my pact with Beel. Belphie heals the mental damage, but I have to trust that Beel can keep his twin in check. Which since Beel hadn’t even noticed Belphie manipulating me in the first place, if a pretty epic leap of faith. Three, seek out a champion to literally fight Beel on my behalf and my soul and pact goes to him if they win. And then I have to trust my brand new personal demon with the inner workings of my mind. Or, worst-case scenario, I die.”

“That last part isn’t going to happen. You aren’t going to die.” Levi sounded adamant about that part.

Satan agreed, his voice just as serious. “There is no chance that will happen.”

Levi reached over to take her hand. “If you wish it, I’d be your champion.”

Satan took her other hand. “I, too, would fight Beel if you asked it.”

Grace had to blink away some tears, but as touched as she was by the offer, the thought was terrifying. She was barely used to sharing that intimate part of herself with Beel. To entrust it now to someone else? Her eyes went to Levi first. Even if it was her friend Levi, it would be hard. Especially since to help heal her, she’d have to expose things she wouldn’t want him to see. What if it changed things?

“Or you could always choose Lucifer?” Levi offered with a smirk.

Grace started to squeeze his hand and forcing his fingers backward. “Ow! I mean at least you’d get to see Beel hit him around for a while! Ow! Come on, let go!”

Grace knew that he was not at her mercy and that he was just trying to make her laugh. But, Grace let go of her hand with an exaggerated sigh and looked to Satan, “And somehow you think my odds of dying are zero?”

“Well, let me amend that statement. The odds are zero if you pick me,” Satan replied with a grin.

Levi looked offended as he massaged his fingers, then he winked at Grace.

“Alright, tell me the fine print on this champion thing. Still not sold that its a good idea, but it might be the less terrible idea.”

Satan walked her through what was needed for the challenge, and the ritual. While he did, Grace’s eyes kept drifting to the field and Beel. It felt like such a betrayal to even think of this. How would she even approach him on it? He didn’t even do anything wrong! Well, there were a few things he neglected to mention that weren’t lies but he really shouldn’t have hidden from her. Plus, Grace was not over finding out that he had eaten her. That was going to take time. Most of what was wrong between just her and Beel was fixable. But Belphie…

Once Satan was done speaking, Grace let it sink in. Before she could even consider it an option, Grace had one more question for them. “Levi. Satan. You know Belphie, I need your honest opinion. I trust that because of my connection to Lilith that he won’t hurt me. I don’t trust him not to manipulate me to try to make me see him in a different light. If you were in my shoes, would you trust him not to ‘fix’ more than just the damage he caused?” 

They both hesitated. That hesitation spoke volumes. She understood the gravity of what she was asking, and that the bond they had with Belphie was strong and had weathered much before this. Grace shook her head. “Don’t answer that. It wasn’t fair of me to ask.”

“If we trusted him in this, neither of us would have spent last evening trying to find a way to fix this,” Satan said softly.

“Choose what you need, and we will support you any way we can,” Levi added.

Grace wiped her face with her hands. “Okay, now that you’ve just about made me cry bugger off so I can figure out how I’m going to talk to him about this.”

Levi nodded, “Yeah, I definitely don’t want to be around for that conversation.”

Satan rose and dusted off his pants, “Remember his cowardice if you do decide to choose a champion.” He then brushed a strand of hair off of her face. His fingertips lingered just a little too long. “See you at home.”

Grace nodded in reply. Levi hung back longer and watched Satan walk down the stairs. “All joking aside, Grace. I’ve got your back, and I can take him. Any trust you put in me is safe. With a pact or without.” Grace looked at Levi, expecting there to be a hint of blush, but no, there was nothing. His eyes were firm and resolute. His words were spoken without any trace of stammer or hesitation. He rose from the bleacher and then smiled at her. “See you at home.”

She almost rose to her feet to give him a hug, but he was even less fond of public displays of affection that she was, so Grace just echoed his words back to him and let Levi go.


	47. On The Horns of a Dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The walk home touches on some very unpleasant subjects

When Beel emerged from the changing room, Grace was waiting for him on the field. She smiled at him, but her smile was sadder than the one she’d given him at the start of practice. What had those two said to her to make her sad? Why couldn’t it have waited until they got home?

“Did you actually get to see any of the practice?” Beel asked, half-teasingly, half-seriously.

“Yes, I can confidently say that a ball went from one side of the field to the other side of the field,” Grace joked. She wrapped her arms around Beel and held him tightly. “And I can say you looked really good.”

Beel rested his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes. When she hadn’t come home last night, he had been afraid that there was going to be no more hugs. Belphie had tried to reassure him, but there had been an unsettling feeling in his stomach, a sense of dread that would not go away. A part of him had feared that she wasn’t going to come back at all. He squeezed her a little tighter as though to convince himself that it wasn’t just his imagination. Grace had come home.

As usual, it was Beel’s stomach that determined when the moment ended. Grace laughed at the audible rumble it made and slid one of her hands forward to rub his belly. “Shh, it's okay,” she said, as though she was comforting a child. “We’ll go home and get you something to eat.”

Beel laughed, but he did note that despite her playful tone, Grace’s body language had shifted. It was less relaxed and she was a little more wooden in his arms. It was probably the result of yesterday’s confession. He knew how much the thought of being eaten terrified her, and now she knew what he had done the night their pact was formed. They were going to need to talk about that, but the sports field was probably not the best place, and with his stomach complaining it was definitely not the best time.

Releasing her from the hug, Beel snagged her free hand and started to lead the way home. The demands of his hunger be damned, Beel was still going to drag his heels and make this one of the longest walks ever.

“I missed you last night,” Beel admitted after they had walked in silence for a little bit. “Dare I ask what you and Mammon got up to?” He tried to sound interested, not jealous because there was nothing to be jealous of. Right?

“He rented a hotel suite for us. I took a long hot bath. We played some cards and then I went to bed,” Grace answered. “He was a complete gentleman the whole night if that is what you are trying to get at. Mammon actually managed to calm me down after a really bad nightmare. He was really sweet. But, an evening worthy of a ‘Dear Penthouse’ letter, it was not.”

Relieved, Beel smiled then said, “Well, after today you won’t need to worry about nightmares anymore. You, me and Belphie can fix-“

“No,” Grace interrupted. She stopped walking and looked up at him, her eyes dark and serious.“No Belphie. Lucifer can walk you and I through how to undo the damage.”

Beel sighed. It’s not like he wasn’t expecting some resistance to the idea. “I understand that you don’t trust him. I understand that he is going to have to work to build that trust and that right now he’s dug himself a really deep hole. But, Belphie does know exactly what he changed and what he duplicated. With his help, we can fix this in one night, instead of letting the damage continue to settle and dragging the process out over days. If we let him help, we will know for sure that nothing gets missed. And once he plays his part, I promise that he won’t touch your mind again without permission.” Grace frowned and looked away. Beel tucked two fingers under her chin and tilted her face up to look at him. “I’m not asking you to trust him. I’m asking you to trust me.”

Grace bit her lip. Beel resisted the urge to sigh again. This was not going well. He could tell that this was going to be a discussion if he was lucky, and an argument is he was not.

“No,” Grace said again. “What you are saying makes sense. I hear the very valid and logical points you are making, but this is something I’m not going to be changing my position on. I do not want Belphie to have any influence on my mind. Ever. Not with your supervision, and definitely not without.”

Grace started walking again, and Beel lengthened his strides to bring himself back to her side. “Is it wrong that I don’t want to risk making a mistake trying to do this ourselves?”

“No, that part is very sweet,” she acknowledged. They walked in silence for a bit. He could almost feel the words she didn’t want to say hanging in the air between them. Finally, she spoke again. “He is your twin. You love him. I accept those two things as fact. Being with you means that Belphie is going to be a part of my life. This is also, a fact.” She paused and then continued. “You need to accept that he violated my mind and that I will not give him another opportunity to do so.”

Beel winced at the word violated. It was accurate. He could not deny that. “It was wrong. He knows its wrong. He wants to help. Belphie wants to make amends. It’s too soon to even think about asking you to trust him. You may never trust him. Trust me! I won’t let him do anything to you.”

“Beel, I said no. Please drop it.” Grace’s voice was quiet but firm.

Beel ignored her warning and pressed, “I just want you to be whole again.”

“And I just want to be me again!” Grace countered. “And I don’t want to have to worry if he made any other ‘fixes’ while he was at it!”

“I’d stop him!” Beel argued.

“How?! You didn’t even know he was doing it in the first place!” She shouted at him. “Tell me how the fuck would you stop him!”

The truth in that hurt. No, he had not noticed Belphie using a pact that was not his own to influence Grace. Beel didn’t like to acknowledge that failing. But why? Why would he have even suspected that was possible? His twin was supposed to be in a different realm! “It’s different now!” Beel said defensively. “My connection with Belphie is restored.”

They were now at the lane that led up to the house. “I’m not sure how that part is supposed to make me feel better Beel! If he could manipulate my pact with you as much as he did when your connection was weak…” Her voice trailed off. “It scares me, Beel. To wonder what things he could change now. To think about how he could shape me.”

Grace kept walking and Beel couldn’t see her face. “I won’t let him!” Beel repeated.

“Still not hearing how you would stop him,” Grace replied.

“It’s hard to explain. There are a hundred little reasons why what you are afraid of won’t happen.” Beel gestured with his hands, as if somehow that would bring the right words to his lips. Beel just started spouting facts. “He can’t lie to me. He doesn’t want to hurt me. I think I’d feel it now if he tried. I trust him not to do anything else to fuck this up between you and I.”

Grace climbed the steps and stopped in front of the door. She turned to look at him. She looked tired, sad, and a little defeated. “Beel, he doesn’t see me as a person. He sees me as a figment of the past. Can you honestly, honestly tell me that he wouldn’t make a tiny tweak here or there to get the happy ending that he wants? The one that you want? You, he and me, except I’m not me in that scenario. I’m just a shadow of someone that died centuries ago.”

Beel wanted to say no. He wanted to deny that Belphie would do that, but that would be a lie. There had already been too many lies between him and Grace. “Yes, he might want to. Yes, he would be capable. He is a demon, Grace. We all are demons. If you knew everything that I had done. Everything I’m capable of, you would be afraid of me too.”

“Difference is, he’s already done those things to me!” Grace shouted, balling her hands in frustration.

“So have I, and you are willing to forgive me. I told you I ate your flesh without your permission.”

Grace closed her eyes. “You really want to go there? Right now that is where you want to take this conversation?” She shook her head and opened her eyes. “I understand that you did what you did in order to try to find me. Am I okay with it? Not really. Am I trying to move past that? Yes, because we have something special, at least that is special to me.” She paused and took a deep breath. “You are not Belphie. He does not get a pass. I do not have to forgive him. I especially do not have to forgive him less than seventy-two hours after almost dying on the kitchen floor. I’m doing my best to try to tolerate that he is a part of you. I’m doing my best to deal with the fact that the demon that assaulted me is going to be sitting next to you at dinner tonight. Stop asking for more than I can give right now.”

“He is a part of me. He has always been a part of me. Belphie was a part of me when I met you the first time. He was a part of me when we made our pact. He has always been a part of the whole that is me. The me you feel you have something special with.” Beel looked at her. “He will always be connected to you because I am connected to you.”

Grace turned away from Beel. She whispered, “It’s not fair that someone I’m learning to love is so intertwined with someone I’m beginning to hate.” At least, that was what Beel thought she said. The words were almost lost under the creak of the hinges as she pulled the door open.

Beel quickly followed her and saw Belphie sitting on the stairs.

“Is everything okay? I could feel that Beel was upset?” he asked, rising to his feet. Beel could feel his twin’s concern and knew it was concern for both himself and Grace.

“No. Nothing is okay,” Grace answered. She turned her eyes on him, and while Beel could not see them, he could tell from the tone of her voice that they would be filled with anger. “Because of you, nothing may ever be fucking okay.” She walked right up to Belphie and shoved him. He was startled by her use of force and took a step back. “I was almost happy, you asshole! If you know a fraction of what you claim to know about me, you know how fucking rare that is! How I didn’t even believe that I could have that in my life again! Now that you are here I don’t see a path that lets me keep that!” She shoved him again, but Belphie was ready for it this time and didn’t move.

“Grace,” Belphie said in a calm voice. “We can talk about this.”

“Talking won’t fix what you’ve broken. Talking won’t make any of this easier!” Grace grew louder. Beel didn’t think she was even aware of the angry tears that were sliding down her face. “I’ve got too many battles on my hands. I fight for me, and I might lose him,” Grace glanced over her shoulder at Beel. “I fight for him, and I still might lose him. You’ve got too much a head start, and I’ve only got a handful of years. You and Beel are intertwined in a more intimate way than I can even imagine.”

Belphie reached for her hand, and she shook him off. “You don’t have to fight for him. You already have him and though you aren’t ready or able to accept it yet, you already have me.”

“But that’s the problem! I don’t want you! And me not wanting you, hurts Beel. I don’t need a mystic link to feel that. I have eyes, I see how he looks at you. I have ears! I hear how he talks about you! That I don’t want the demon that tried to break me, hurts him. Do you have any idea how fucked up it is that I feel guilty, guilty for hating you? Because me hating you, hurts him.” Grace laughed. It was a sound full of despair.

Beel tried to come up behind her and wrap her in his arms, but she threw his hands off too.

“And Belphie, for what I hope is the last fucking time. It’s not me you want. I was nothing but an insect to disposed of until you found out about my heritage. You want Lilith and I will never be her! Never! I don’t want to be! As fucked up and messy as I am, I want to live and die as me. You being connected to me makes me afraid that you will try to remake me in her image.”

“He won’t do that. I promise he won’t do that.” Beel didn’t let Grace shake him off again. He firmly wrapped her in a hug that she could not escape from. “I don’t want that. I want you. I want you just the way you are. Even if it is messy and fucked up.” Grace was so angry that she was shaking.

In comparison to the shouting that had drawn the presence of all but Lucifer, the next words she spoke were a barely audible whisper. “Beel, are we more than the pact we made?”

“Yes,” Beel answered without hesitation. “Much more than our pact.”

“Promise me that we are more than the pact,” she pleaded, demanding in a desperate voice to be reassured again.

“Yes, I promise we are more than just a pact.” He didn’t know why that answer was so important that she needed it repeated.

“I’m going to hold you to that. Don’t you dare break that promise.” She took a few deep breaths and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. When she spoke next, it was with calm certainty. “There is a loophole, and I may be able to escape our pact and still retain a tie to my soul.”

Escape? Why would she use a word like escape? Beel released his hold on her, in desperate need to see what was going on in her eyes. He turned Grace to face him. Her eyes were full of both sorrow and resolve. Her lip trembled, but her chin was raised stubbornly.

“Do you want to break our pact?” Beel asked in shock. The very idea cut him. He shook his head. “Do you even know what happens if you break your pact with me?”

“I do now,” Grace said. Her eyes darted to the side, where Satan was silently watching from the door to the dining room. “Satan and Levi filled me in on the fine print today.”

“Then you know your soul would be forfeit!” Beel fought the urge to shake her. “No! There has to be a better way!”

“There is Beel,” Satan said. “Let me explain.”

Beel listened as Satan outlined what he learned. A trial by combat, where if Beel lost, he forfeited both her soul and her pact to the demon that defeated him. The entire concept of it went against his very nature as a demon. That part of her was his. He could not, would not surrender it easily. This would not be a mock battle this would be very real.

Beel turned his eyes to Grace. Did she know that? That by his nature, he would have to fight to keep what was his. That if he defeated her champion that she would die? At his hands?

“Grace. I need you to understand that is you choose this, I can’t throw the fight. My very nature prevents that. If you choose this path, you are putting me in a position where I might have to kill you. Please, don’t ask this of me.” Beel shook his head. “Don’t make me do that.”

The silence weighed heavily on the room. It took her a long time to speak. “Beel.” She said his name so softly, so tenderly. “If I died at your hands tonight, at least I’ll die me.”

“How could you encourage this?” Beel roared. The last shreds of his restraint broke, and he morphed into his demonic visage. “Satan? Levi? How?”

Levi answered from up on the balcony. “Because it’s the only solution that gives either of you a chance at peace. If she grew desperate and too afraid of Belphie and broke the pact, we would lose the Grace we know.”

Satan spoke next, “Belphegor has already proven that when it comes to her he has no concept of boundaries. Seamlessly moving from attempting to remove her from the picture to attempting to heavy-handedly woo her. What do you think that would do to your relationship with her?”

Mammon spoke next. He was sitting at the top of the stairs. “If she chooses this, ya still have a chance to have some sort of happiness.”

He looked back to Grace, “Don’t do this. Don’t listen to them. Trust me. Trust us. I can keep you safe. Haven’t I always kept you safe?”

Grace’s eyes shifted, glancing back over her shoulder toward where Belphie was silently standing. That gesture spoke volumes. It accused him of failure. At that moment, Beel knew the decision was made.

Beel frowned and curled his hands into fists. Wrath was not his sin, but he felt it surging through him at that moment. Grace was rejecting him. She didn’t have faith that he could care for her, protect her. She was willing to risk death rather than put her trust in the bonds they had. Though his body was untouched, he felt like he was bleeding from a hundred cuts. “So be it then. Choose your champion wisely, Grace, and pray that they are strong enough.” He looked at each of his siblings in turn. “Summon me when it is time. At least one of you will pay for this betrayal in blood tonight.”

Beel stormed away from her, pushed past Satan and headed to the kitchen. He would feast and prepare his body for the trial that was to come.


	48. Choosing A Champion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer arrives home from a long day at RAD and dealing with Diavolo to this mess in the entry hall.

Everyone was silent as Beel stormed out of the room. Belphie trailed not too far behind him. Grace stared at the door he’d exited from and tried to retrace how she had mishandled the conversation so badly. This was not the outcome she wanted. What she wanted was for them to try to solve the problem together. By together, Grace meant her and Beel, but apparently, that word meant something different to Beel. Together to him meant all three of them.

The kitchen door slamming seemed to be a signal the all who remained in the entrance hall that it was okay to move. She could hear Mammon and Levi descending the stairs. Satan’s eyes were still focussed on Beel’s exit route and he looked thoughtful. Asmo looked sad but gave her a smile as he approached. Grace blinked, realizing that both he and Satan were in their demonic forms now. When had they changed? How had she missed that? It must have been while her entire focus had been Beel.

Sure, his voice had been filled with rage, but it had been the look of hurt in his eyes that had held her attention. Grace hated that she was the one that had inflicted such torment on him. Her only solace at this moment was his promise. They were more than just a pact. If his words were true then they would get through this. Grace was going to try to have faith that they would get through this.

“Hey sweetheart,” Asmo said. There was no innuendo in his tone. That both shocked and concerned her. Asmo opened his arms to give her a hug, and Grace accepted it. She held him tightly. Grace had the feeling he needed one as badly as she did right now.

“Sorry, I’ve made a mess of your handiwork,” Grace apologized.

“Guess I’ll just have to repaint you before the main event,” Asmo replied. He loosened his grip and turned his attention to Satan. Grace could see his playful expression was back, but at the same time could see how much it was a mask he wore. Asmo’s tone was light as he questioned Satan. “Does this ritual have a dress code? Gladiator themed perhaps? Grace should look like roman empresses.” He nodded, and Grace could see he was already dressing her in his head. “Loin cloths for Beel and her champion.” Asmo looked back at her and smiled. “Beel does look fantastic all oiled up, you will thank me later. Do our duelling gladiators need weapons?”

Heads turned as they heard the entrance door close with a heavy thud. Lucifer looked around the room, his eyes not missing a detail. Grace could see how weary he was. It was in the faint lines on his face and the slightly dulled look to his eyes. The was almost no red to be seen in their depths. “Do we not have enough on our collective plates?” Lucifer said with a sigh. “Asmo, why are you planning a costumed duel?”

“Asmo is being dramatic,” Satan interjected. 

Grace noticed that when minor things went wrong under this roof, and Lucifer was likely to be irritated, someone usually placed the blame on Mammon. However, when the more real shit went down, and there was a serious chance that Lucifer would be actually enraged, Satan seemed to always make a point of drawing Lucifer’s attention his way. 

“However, he is correct that there is to be combat this evening,” Satan continued. 

“Explain,” Lucifer commanded. 

Satan complied, outlining the current situation, the discovery that he and Levi had made, and what was going to need to happen this night.

Meanwhile, Grace could feel Mammon come up beside her. He let the back of his hand brush lightly against the back of hers but otherwise made no greeting. Levi moved to stand next to Satan, perhaps feeling that should Lucifer take this poorly that he deserved some share of the blame. Both Levi and Mammon were also in their natural demonic states.

There was a long moment of silence while Lucifer processed the information. “Did we not have enough challenges in our path as it was?” Lucifer asked of all assembled in the room. “We may be at odds with the ruler of this realm. We need to be united more than ever. Not battling each other over Grace’s insecurities.” Lucifer then turned his attention solely on Satan. “Did you not have a task I assigned you, Satan? Shall I assume that you abandoned it to look into this obscure nonsense?”

“I used my time where I felt it was most needed,” Satan answered. If Lucifer was intimidating him, it did not show. “Before I start researching the other student files, I figured it was prudent to go over Grace’s file with her to see how accurate it is. If I didn’t and hers was flawed, comparing other files to hers would be a waste of time, a resource you seem to think we have little of. As she was unavailable last night, I chose to use my time elsewhere.”

Levi smiled, “Aren’t you always telling me I should spend less time gaming? I missed three log-in bonuses and actually read books that didn’t have pictures. I really think you should be praising Satan for that miracle.”

Lucifer frowned and turned instead to Grace. “Is this really what you want?”

“No Lucifer,” Grace answered. “It’s not what I want. Watching Beel have to fight one of his siblings is a horrifying thought. I know the love he bears for each and every one of you. If I wasn’t already damned, I feel this act alone would be enough to seal my fate. I don’t want this.” Grace looked at her feet for a moment. Took a second to count the scuff marks on her shoes, do anything but get too emotional. “Do you have a better solution? One that does not make me forfeit that connection with my soul? One that doesn’t keep me shackled to the demon that almost broke me? If you are right, and Diavolo is using me for some unknown purpose, wouldn’t you want me in the best condition possible? Sound in both mind and body?”

Lucifer’s features did not change. Grace could not tell what he was thinking. His eyes flicked back to Satan, “Do we have all we need to do this without involving anyone who is not family?”

Satan nodded. “The outlined ritual demands that there be three witnesses, and we have that covered. Though nothing states it, I recommend that we bar Belphie from acting that capacity, as he is a central part of Grace’s formal complaint.”

Lucifer sighed again, though this time the sounds bordered on a soft growl. “So be it. I will need an hour to prepare. It had been a long time since I’ve faced Beel. I doubt we’ve even sparred in the last decade.”

Mammon gave a deep growl in reaction to that, and Grace put an arm out to stop him from moving. Grace gritted her teeth, angered that Lucifer had just assumed that she was going to choose him. No, this was not a fight she needed Mammon to fight for her. This one she could and would win entirely on her own.

“No,” Grace said firmly. “Not you.”

“You would think to choose another?” Lucifer asked. His face looked momentarily confused.

“Yes!” Grace exclaimed. “I was not planning on getting rid of a tie to one manipulative asshole only to replace it with another.”

Lucifer stepped toward her. His slow measured pace was meant to be intimidating, and it was working. Grace could feel her heart speed up, and the urge to back away was strong. Grace actually had to step in front of Mammon to stop him from intercepting Lucifer. 

“I believe when we last spoke about pacts, you promised that you would not choose one of my brothers over me,” Lucifer reminded her.

“You are correct,” Grace acknowledged. Lucifer smiled smugly in response to her words. Grace let him enjoy a moment of imagined victory before continuing. “However, that conversation was about the formation of a new pact. Right now we are discussing the matter of transferring my pact. Two entirely different things.” Lucifer narrowed his eyes at her. “Fine print matters, doesn’t it, Lucifer?” Grace smirked. “Like the fine print in the pact, you offered me yesterday. You were pretty sure Beel never filled me in on the details of how pacts functioned. Yet, you pressured me to make a decision while feeling vulnerable, then denied my request for time to think about it.”

His eyes no longer looked dull. The red sparks seemed to glow the longer Grace held his gaze. “I am a demon,” Lucifer acknowledged, with a tilt of his head. “There is a reason humans say that ‘the devil is in the details’.”

“Yes, you are a demon, but you aren’t one I would place either my soul or my life in the hands of again,” Grace replied.

“Are you sure of this decision Grace? I am the first among my siblings and none of them would deny it.” 

“I’m as sure as I was the last time I rejected you,” she said firmly. Grace raised her chin a little more. She expected him to look angry, but instead, he looked amused.

“So who is to be your champion, then?” Lucifer asked.

Shit. Grace hadn’t actually made that decision yet. No need to complicate this with lies. “I have yet to have made my final decision.”

“It might have been wise to have made sure someone had actually accepted the position before rejecting my offer.” 

Mammon growled. “She ain’t got anything’ ta worry about. No one in this room would say no if she asked.”

Lucifer looked around the room taking the time to meet each of his brother’s eyes. “So be it. I will still need time to prepare myself mentally for this. Grace, I assume you will need the same, Grace. An hour, unless you need longer?”

“An hour,” Grace agreed. 

Lucifer looked back to Satan, “Prepare a space in the garden. We do not need further property damage to the interior of our home.” 

With his orders given, Lucifer left the hall and went to his suite of rooms.

Levi waited until Lucifer was definitely out of earshot before laughing. “Damn Grace, have you got a death wish or something?”

“Anyone else needing a cold shower?” Asmo asked. “Feel free to join me.”

Mammon threw an arm around her shoulder, “That’s my girl. He deserved that.”

“Was probably the wrong time for that though,” Grace admitted. “But, it felt good.”

Satan chuckled, “I bet it did.”

Grace wanted this moment of quiet victory to last. She actually wished she could hug all four of them. For everything, they had done in the last twenty-four hours. Each had gone out of their way to care for her or take care of her in their own ways. Two had already volunteered to fight against their own brother to keep her whole while the other two had silently made their intention to do the same known to Lucifer. Words seemed inadequate.

She closed her eyes and picture the group hug she wished she could have, but even in her mind, it did not go well. Levi squirmed away from the attention. Satan tolerated the fictional hug with a sigh of exasperation, while Mammon complained about Asmo getting too handsy. Grace indulged in enjoying the imaginary hug for a few moments before bringing the mood in the room down again. Less than an hour and one of them would face off against Beel.

“Satan? Levi? Do either of you want to change your mind about the offer to be my champion? If you do I would understand. It is not a theory anymore, but something real that the clock is now ticking down toward.”

“My offer still stands,” Satan affirmed. 

“As does mine,” Levi answered.

Asmo reached over and took her hand, raising it to his lips. He kissed her fingers softly. “I would be honoured if you chose me to be your champion, but I will understand if you choose another. I know we do not share the same closeness that you have with some of my siblings.” He released her hand.

“Ya know I got yer back,” Mammon said.

Grace cocked her head and looked at him. The words were right, but there was something in the tone that was wrong. Mammon avoided looking her in the eyes. Did he not want to be her champion? Then why not just say so? Was he afraid of looking bad in the eyes of the others? Afraid he might not win against Beel? Or was he afraid of winning, and not wanting the so-called prize that was a pact with her?

“Mammon?” She called his name. Suddenly worried, Grace needed to see his eyes. When he didn’t move in response to her question, she lightly laid a hand on his face and tilted his head so she could search his eyes for the answers to the questions she didn’t want to ask aloud. 

“I told ya, I’ve got yer back darlin’,” Mammon repeated. He smiled gently at her, almost mocking her for her doubt. Then, he winked and shifted his eyes to over her shoulder to where Levi was standing. “Make yer choice.”

Grace was at the very least confused. She saw no rejection in those blue eyes, only reassurance, and support. But, why then was he suggesting that she choose Levi? Was it because Levi was the most likely to defeat Beel? Or because Mammon thought that a pact was a better fit for her than the others? 

While she was curious about what motivated Mammon, in the end, Levi had been her first choice. Of all of them, Levi had been her friend before he knew who she was. She had a total certainty that no matter whatever else happened, he cared about her as Grace. It didn’t matter to him if Grace was a human, part-angel, or now that she was of the same lineage as him, to Levi she would be Grace first. Well, H3NR1 first, but that was a matter of semantics.

“Levi,” Grace called his name as she turned to face him. “Tell me you are sure you can do this.”

“Grace,” Levi said with a confident smile. “I’ve got this. I’m the Grand Admiral of Hell’s Navy, trust me, I’ve got this.”

“What?!” Grace squeaked. “You’re what?”

“Grand Admiral of Hell’s Navy,” Levi repeated.

No, that made as little sense the second time he said it. She looked at Satan, who nodded in confirmation. “It’s true.”

“Seriously?” Grace said, her voice full of wonder.

Asmo and Mammon laughed at her. 

“I’m starting to feel a little insulted,” Levi said. 

“Sorry, Levi,” Grace apologized. She hadn’t meant to insult him. “It’s just I never pictured you…”

“In a uniform?” Levi asked, there was a twinkle in his orange eyes. 

Grace tried to find words that wouldn’t further insult him, or prompt mocking further mocking from the other three demons. Fuck. Covering her face with her hands, Grace wondered how red her face was turning. 

It was Levi who took them and pulled them away. “The answer is yes,” Levi said gently. “I’ll be your champion.”

Grace breathed a sigh of relief. 

“On one condition.

Grace looked at Levi suspiciously. 

“When I ask you for the password to my room, you have to call me sir,” Levi said mischievously. “Just so you never forget my rank ever again.”

“I didn’t forget your rank!” Grace protested. “I never knew it in the first place! But, your terms are fair, and I accept.”

There was a ripple of laughter at that, but the died sooner than it usually would. Now that the matter of champion was officially settled, they were all very aware of how little time remained.

“While I do think a full-on costumed production is out of line, I do agree with Asmo that this situation requires a little more effort than me showing up in my school uniform,” Grace said. “I’m going to go, wash my face and put on something else. See you in the garden, shortly.” 

Grace turned away from the brothers and walked slowly up the stairs. Entering her room, she tossed her book bag on to the bed and immediately went to her closet. Black pants, a metallic gold top, and a black blazer were the most sombre, yet elegant thing she could pull together in this amount of time. So many of the lovely things Asmo thought she should wear looked more suitable for going to a party than taking part in a ritual that was going to strip Beel of their pact. Strip her of their pact. Her eyes started to water again. Damnnit, there was no more time for tears. 

She hauled the clothes to the bathroom and changed while she waited for the disobedient tears to cease. After washing her face, and applying just a touch of make-up, Grace combed out her hair and left it down. She chose a simple necklace, with a solitary gem in the closest blue to Levi’s signature nail colour. It seemed only right to visually show her support of her champion. Asmo would be proud of her for paying attention to the details.

There was a knock at the door. It was probably Levi to come to fetch her. She opened the door, to find not her champion, but Mammon. That he was still in his full demonic splendour was less of a surprise than the fact that he knocked. 

“Is it time?” Grace asked.

“Not quite,” he answered, entering the room and shutting the door behind him.

“Please tell me you aren’t here to make me cry,” Grace said. “I just fixed my makeup and I don’t have time to start over.” Grace opened her closet again to find something to wear for shoes. Boots. This was going down outside, and the extra height of the heel couldn’t hurt in a situation that was about power, in all its forms.

“Can’t promise that,” Mammon answered. 

“Then can it wait until after?” Grace asked, sitting down on the bed. 

Mammon shook his head. “Nope. I can’t have you walking into this thinking that I didn’t want ya.”

Grace delayed answering his question by leaning down to slowly zip up the first boot. Grace tossed her hair over one shoulder and looked up him. “Then why did you suggest Levi?”

Mammon didn’t answer and Grace started putting on the other boot. “If you don’t want to talk about it, it's okay, but you are the one that came to me.” Grace kept her voice calm but kept her eyes on pulling the zipper up. One would think she was performing surgery from how much she attention she gave it.

Mammon sighed and crouched down so that he was eye level with her. “I don’t want Beel’s pact with you.”

“That kinda sounds like you don’t want me,” Grace said with a little laugh. “It’s okay Mammon, you don’t need to want to have a pact with me.”

Mammon reached over and tangled his hand in her dark brown hair. “Will ya just listen? I said I don’t want Beel’s pact with you. I don’t want a pact that you need to shift to someone else. I don’t want a pact made because Belphie forced your hand.”

Grace blinked at him. She tried to hear the meaning under the words. “What do you want then?”

“If we were to ever enter a pact-“ The way he said the word pact was layered, Grace could feel that there was more to it. “I want it to be because you want it because you choose it. I don’t want to take-“ He paused, and looked frustrated. “No. That’s wrong. I will take because that’s my nature. I will take Grace, but only what you want to give me.”

Mammon leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. His hand was still holding cradling her head. Her hair was tangled around his fingers. His eyes were so close. The gold highlights shone brighter, glinting metallic as the light struck his eyes. Their lips were close. She breathed in the air he exhaled. 

Grace had no words. She was caught in his eyes, caught in this moment. Mammon, however, was not quite done yet. “One warning darlin’,” Mammon whispered. Her eyes were drawn to his lips and the cocky upturn they took before he finished speaking. “What I take I keep.”

For the second time, Mammon leaned forward to kiss her. This time there was nothing tentative or hesitant in this kiss, and unlike his words, it left her no room to misread his intention. She was breathless, speechless when he pulled his lips from hers. Grace could see that he was pleased to have left her so flustered. He slid his fingers free from her hair and offered that same hand to help her rise to her feet. He stood from his crouch, still holding her hand. 

“It’s showtime,” Mammon said. “We can’t be late.”

Grace was happy to have him help her stand. Honestly, she was feeling a little shaky from both the kiss and the emotions behind it. She wished she had time to untangle what just happened between them, but time was something they were out of. She closed her eyes and tucked what she was feeling behind the walls she was really good at hiding behind. Mammon was right, it was showtime.


	49. The Seventh Ritual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For only the seventh time in recorded history, two demons battle for control of a pact.

Grace was as ready as she was going to be. Satan had coached her on what she needed to say, and what she was expected to do. It was time.

All of the lords were assembled in the central courtyard of the garden, as the sky darkened further and the temperature cooled. Grace felt overwhelmed at the sight, as all of the Avatars were in their full demonic forms. They looked fierce and majestic, it was hard not to be aware of how small and fragile she was in comparison. 

Grace walked slowly forward, the heels of her boots clicking on the stone as she approached Beel who stood alone in the centre of the space. He still towered over her, even with the extra four inches of the heeled boots. For so long all she had seen from him had been the soft smiles and the gentle amusement in his eyes, Grace had almost started to forget how truly intimidating he could be.

She took a deep breath and spoke the words she had been told to speak in a clear voice. “Beelzebub, Avatar of Gluttony, I accuse you of violating the nature of out pact by allowing another demon to utilize it.”

Beel snorted, “Foolish human, what do you seek to do about it?” His reply was as scripted as her own words.

“I have chosen a more worthy demon to remove from you that which you have abused. I call to my side, Leviathan, Avatar of Envy.”

Grace had not heard Levi's approach, but he spoke from over her shoulder. “The pact that you have violated will be mine.”

She raised her voice louder and called out, “Who will bear witness?”

Satan stepped forward, “I, Satan, Avatar of Wrath, will bear witness.”

Lucifer stepped forward next, “I, Lucifer, Avatar of Pride, will also stand as witness.”

Asmo was the last to take his place. “I, Asmodeus, Avatar of Lust, will also act as witness.”

They were positioned in an exact triangle around where Levi, Beel and herself were standing. Though they were only there to witness the duel and the outcome of it, those three taking their positions had an almost mystical weight. 

Beel’s eyes had never shifted from Grace’s face. She wanted to close her eyes and look away. It was hard to see the hurt and anger etched on his face. However, since she was the one that hurt him, Grace felt obligated to witness it. “Should your champion fail you, I will end you and claim the remainder of your soul as my own. Do you still wish to bring forth this challenge?”

“Yes,” Grace answered.

“So be it.” Beel nodded and then took a step back from her. Grace backed away, leaving Levi alone in the centre to face Beel. Mammon gently took her arm and guided her to a safe distance.

Both Levi and Beel took the time to shed some of the extra clothing that would only get in their way. Levi’s hoodie was discarded out of the area, revealing a fitted black tank top. Occasionally the light would catch on on the patches of scales that peppered his skin they would shimmer. Beel discarded both his jacket and the shirt underneath, exposing his chest and freeing any restriction on his iridescent insect wings. If the difference in their sizes bothered Levi, he was doing a good job of hiding it. Even the movement of his tail was calm and purposeful.

The size difference definitely worried Grace. It must have shown on her face because Mammon slung an arm around her shoulder. “It’s not as bad as it looks,” Mammon said calmly, “Beel’s got strength and stamina, that’s true, but Levi’s got speed on his side and thinks further ahead. And remember that Beel doesn’t want to win. He’s gotta fight, he’s gotta defend what’s his, but even though he’s pissed, he don’t want cha dead.”

The words brought her no comfort at all, as Grace watched the two brothers approach each other again. 

“Beelzebub, are you ready to commence? Satan asked.

“I am,” Beel answered solemnly. 

“Leviathan, are you prepared and ready?” Lucifer questioned.

“I am,” Levi claimed with a determined nod.

“The duel will end when one of you yields. Begin.” Asmo instructed.

Beel had been ready, and one of his fists was already barrelling downward from above before Asmo had even closed his mouth from pronouncing the last word. The strike did not hit Levi but instead, the blow shattered the stone where the lavender haired brother had been standing only an eye-blink before. 

Grace yelped a little and bit her lip to avoid making any more sounds. She didn’t want to distract either of them.

Levi chuckled, “I know I’m out of practice Beel, but did you seriously think that it was going to be that easy?”

Beel didn’t answer Levi but instead glanced toward Grace. She realized then, that the opening move hadn’t been for Levi, that it had been a statement to her. A reminder of what he really was under the masks he wore. 

Levi took that opportunity to slap Beel in the face with his tail. “It’s a little late to start paying attention to her now, maybe if you’d done that before we wouldn’t be in this mess. Maybe you could have noticed Belphie’s tampering.”

Grace opened her mouth wanting to defend Beel, but Mammon covered her mouth with his hand. “He’s tryin’ to piss him off. Levi don’t really mean it.” Mammon said softly. 

Beel narrowed his eyes at Levi’s taunt, and he only narrowly missed snagging Levi’s prehensile tail out of the air.

“Too slow,” Levi mocked.

Now that’s Beel’s attention was on Levi and the actual fight at hand, the duel actually began in earnest. It was definitely not as one-sided as their size discrepancy would have suggested. When Beel landed a hit, Levi’s skin would begin to bruise heartbeats after it happened, but the hits that connected were few and far between. Levi hit more often but to less dramatic effect. Though he was able to adjust the angle of the scales on his tail and use it as a bladed weapon. Beel was bleeding from a least a half dozen cuts on his torso and one just under his left eye.

Grace found the whole thing both terrible and beautiful. There was a flow to the fight that was as elegant as any dance, and it was unlike anything she had ever seen even at the theatres. Beel’s wings, Levi’s tail, those did not exist just to prove they are inhuman. At all times, they are as involved in the fight as any of their other limbs. Levi would use his tail to trip Beel, or at one point choke him. Beel’s wings, for as fragile as they might look, were surprisingly strong. Beel used them to block some of Levi’s blows, and at one point used them to stir up the dust to blind his opponent.

There were times she had to close her eyes. She didn’t want to see this. It was her fault that Levi’s fair skin was turning into shades that complimented his hair, and that blood oozed down the torso she had spent many nights cuddled up to. The sight of that damage done to people she cared about made her feel sick. Grace would only allow herself brief moments of respite before forcing her eyes to open again. This was for her, and she needed to bear witness to it, no matter how much seeing it hurt.

Grace had thought that it would be hard for the others to watch this too. In that, she had been wrong. Mammon’s wings twitched with excitement, and he would occasionally utter commentary as though he was watching something special on Pay-Per-View. All the brothers watched, and there wasn’t a trace of remorse on their faces. What she saw reflected on their features was admiration, pride and joy.

When Asmo’s lips twitched upward at the end of a particularly fierce and close set of blows, it occurred to Grace, that they were all warriors, fighters, no matter what roles that they possessed now. The seven beings gathered here had been among the best of heaven and were currently the best of hell. Perhaps a part of them missed the chance to use those skills in this time of peace?

When Beel tossed Levi into one of the decorative benches, it was the beginning of the end. Levi landed heavily, the wood splintering under his weight. Beel didn’t let up, closing the gap quickly, and stepping on Levi’s tail to limit his movement. Levi hissed, a fully serpentine sound that was jarring coming from such a human-looking face. Beel ignored it and kicked Levi in the ribs with the other foot.

Levi rolled with the momentum of the strike, ending up on his stomach. He looked for a moment like he was trying to crawl, to create some distance, some breathing room. Grace closed her eyes, remembering having done the same thing, crawling from an opponent that was bigger herself. Her breathing quickened and she fought to control it.

It was not a scream from Levi that forced her eyes open, but one from Beel. While she had fought her own internal battle against panic, the tides had shifted in the much bigger fight. Levi had used the crawling to cover grabbing the splintered wood to use as weapons, and now Beel was laid on his back on the broken stone, a shaft of wood pining one of his wings into the earth revealed by the destruction. 

Levi was standing over Beel, his breath coming in pants. “Yield.”

Beel tried to pull himself upward. There was a terrible tearing sound as his wing ripped further as he tried to get up. Levi showed no mercy. He deftly threw the second stake, impaling the other wing. Levi hammered it in with his foot, careful to avoid the reach of Beel’s long arms.

The wail that emerged from Beel’s throat tore at her calling to her on a primal level. She had managed to keep from crying up until then, but the misery in that sound drew tears immediately. He was her demon and instinctively, she tried to go to him. Mammon shifted his arms, wrapping both around her waist to prevent her from going to him. Grace struggled in his arms. She made an almost whining sound as she failed to free herself from Mammon’s grip. “He needs me,” she whimpered. 

“It’s not safe until he yields,” Mammon said.

Logically, Grace knew he was right. She was human, thus fragile and easily hurt. She also knew that she shouldn’t do anything to help Beel win this. He needed to lose. For her sake, Beel needed to lose. That knowledge didn’t stop her from stomping on Mammon’s instep with her boot. Her demon needed her.

“Fuck, Grace, what do ya think yer doing?” Mammon swore. He raised his voice, “Levi, end it! Now!”

Levi’s tail no longer moved smoothly, there was definitely an unhealthy kink in its sinuous length, but that didn’t stop him from sliding it up along Beel’s throat. A thin line of blood followed in its wake. “Yield,” Levi demanded.

Beel growled. It was full of frustration and anger, but once the growl had faded from the air, Beel whispered, “I yield.”

“Witnesses?” Levi asked.

“I, Lucifer, hear and acknowledge Beelzebub’s surrender.”

The other two followed suit, following the ritual and adding their acknowledgements to Lucifer’s.

Levi crouched down. “I will take your pact the way it was given to you.” Levi leaned down and gently kissed Beel on the lips.

Grace felt the moment it happened. While it didn’t exactly hurt, it was definitely an uncomfortable sensation that she had no words to describe. It was not a friendly exchange. She could feel that Beel still did not want to let go, and there was a momentary tug of war. Then there was a moment when the pact wasn’t grounded that made her feel very light-headed, and the world around seemed to spin. Once it was fully in Levi’s possession, it was better, but she still felt very unsteady. 

Grace shoved all the from her mind. That didn’t matter right now. Though she no longer felt the desperation she had felt moments ago to be at his side, Grace wanted to go to Beel. “Mammon, he yielded. Let me go.”

Mammon sighed, and reluctantly released his grasp. “Be careful. He’s in a lot of pain, and he’s gonna be hurt and angry.”

Grace nodded and made her way to Beel. Levi was beginning to free Beel’s immobilized wings. Belphie was already starting to wipe away the blood. Grace sank to her knees next to Beel. She wrapped her arms around him. Grace just whispered the words ‘I’m sorry’ over and over like a mantra. Ignoring Belphie entirely, Grace leaned in and kissed Beel.

While she had not expected passion, Grace had been entirely unprepared for what actually happened. Beel bit her lip. It was not a playful nip either, but a firm bite intended to draw blood. Grace pulled away from Beel, and he held her eyes while he slowly licked her blood from his lips like he was savouring the last drops of a delicacy.

The hungry look on his face was so like the one she’s seen in her nightmare. Beel was sitting, cradled in Belphie’s arms and the image was just too close. Again, the crunching sound from her dream haunted her. Her hands shook a little, and she could not move her eyes from his lips.

“Did you really think that you could reject me and everything I am and it wouldn’t change anything?” Beel said in a dark quiet voice. “Did you think after this insult we were just going to go back into the house and watch a movie? You couldn’t trust me when I was your tame demon, do you really think you can trust me now? Go away. It’s Levi’s job to take care of you now. I don’t even want to look at you.” The last words came out as almost a snarl.

Grace wanted to run from him. He was feral, angry and she could taste his ill intentions along with the blood on her lip. Running would be easy. No one would blame her for getting up and walking away right now. Well, no one except herself. Grace would blame herself. She had said she would not give up on what they had, and she had meant it. Was she going to change her mind just because it got harder? Scarier? 

Beel growled again as she reached toward him again. This time she did not reach for his face, and though she did put her hand into his hair, that was not her goal. Grace slid her hand along the curve of one of his horns. She yanked on it, pulling his face closer and giving him a second kiss. He was surprised and did not react immediately, which was good since she planned on ending it the way he had ended the first one. Her bite was not strong enough to draw blood but it was firm enough to make a point.

She let his horn go. “Beel, you made a promise to me today. You promised me that we were more than just a pact. I only pressed for this so we had a chance to save whatever that was. I’m still willing to fight for us even if I still don’t have a name for what that is. It’s up to you to decide if you want to keep your promise and do the same.” 

Grace raised her chin up and tried to look resolute and fearless, even though on the inside she was heart-broken and crying. She had to look like she had faith that this was going to work out. Even if kissing him again with her bruised and bloody lips was almost enough to make her want to scream. Beel needed to see, to feel that she still believed in him. She still believed in them.

She rose to her feet and tried her best not to look like she was walking on a boat. The ground felt so very unsteady under her feet right now. Grace didn’t know if she should blame the emotional toll of what she just witnessed, the very visual reminder that Beel was more than willing to taste her, or the fact that her soul and pact had just been uprooted. In the end, the why didn’t matter. All that did matter was that she not show weakness. She was very careful where she put her feet down because tripping and falling on her face would ruin the statement she was trying to make.

Grace succeeded. She made it into the house, and all the way into the kitchen before vertigo overtook her and she had to sit. She didn’t make it to one of the chairs, so the floor had to so for a little bit. She closed her eyes and waited for the world to stop rocking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was my hope that by not detailing every blow that you could create your own imagery of fight but I hope I wasn't too vague that it resulted in no tension.


	50. It's Going to be a Long Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone goes to check on Grace

The garden was silent as Grace walked out. That silence did not last long. Mammon growled, and Asmo watched as his white-haired brother stalked toward Beel with his hands balled into fists. This action did not surprise Asmo in the slightest, not after seeing the tender glances Mammon he favoured her with. It was one thing to reject Grace, it was another thing entirely to draw her blood. Tonight was not going to be a good night for Beel.

Asmo’s eyes paused to on Levi, who should be leaving to go check on his mistress. But, Levi’s eyes were focussed inward and there was a frown on his face. Asmo closed his eyes and sighed. Grace had gone to Beel first. Though Levi had probably known that was going to be the case, he could not help who he was. His sin was Envy. After putting his body on the line for Grace, and taking her pact for his own, his new mistress had still gone to Beel first. While Asmo had to give him credit for taking the time to tame his sin instead of following her and possibly making matters worse, Grace needed someone now. Especially after the stunt, Beel pulled.

Everyone was hurting. Everyone was in pain. He could see Lucifer and Satan arguing off to the side. Belphie his face pained trying to help Beel. There was little Asmo could so about most of it, right now. So, he was going to do what no one else seemed to be in a position to do. Asmo walked toward the house. He was going to go check on their human.

He found her sitting on the kitchen floor, with her eyes closed and her head leaning against the wall. She seemed surprisingly calm. He had expected tears or anger, but she seemed almost at peace. In some ways, this was a little more worrying.“Hey darlin’, what are you doing down there?”

“Waiting for the world to stop rocking back and forth,” she answered, not opening her eyes.

“Headache?” Asmo asked, reaching down to touch her forehead.

“No, I’m not in any pain. Just the world just feels unstable, like its rolling beneath my feet. Probably has something to do with whole pact thing.”

“I’ve never thought about how getting a pact feels on the human side,” Asmo mused, stroking her hair before raising his hand from her face. She seemed okay, but knowing her she was probably dehydrated and could use something to eat. “How did making your pact with Beel feel?” he asked, wandering over to the fridge.

“I wasn’t in a really great place when we did that. I was in shock, I think, but I remember how tired it made me. What does it feel like when you make a pact?”

Asmo opened his mouth to give his default reply, which would have been of course been horny, but he paused and actually thought about it as he opened the fridge. “Vulnerable,” he finally said, as he surveyed the fridge. “Exposed. It was intimate, more intimate than any of the sexual acts I’ve ever done, but at the same time, it was impersonal. With Solomon, making the pact had seemed like a business transaction.”

“Thank you,” Grace said softly.

“For what?” Asmo asked, looking up from the fridge that was devoid of anything edible.

“The truth.” There was a soft smile on Grace’s face.

“Unfortunately, the other truth I have to share is less pleasant. Beel has devoured not only everything I had started to make for supper but almost the entire contents of the fridge. He hasn’t done that since the first week you came to live with us.”

“I remember that,” Grace replied, her eyes still closed. “He stopped after the time he’d eaten everything human safe and I had to go to school without breakfast.” Despite it being a fond memory, her smile wavered a little.

“Well, lucky for you, he left the water alone, in favour of the beer.” Asmo handed Grace the cold bottle and sat down next to her. He made sure that they were close enough that their legs were touching. “You know he didn’t mean all of that, right?”

“He meant some of it,” Grace said sadly. “I did betray our pact. I didn’t trust him to take care of me, protect me. Those things are on me.” She sighed. “I’ll give him some time and some space. We’ve both got shit to figure out.”

“You might give him time, not sure if Mammon will,” Asmo said. While his tone was teasing, Asmo was completely serious. Grace’s smiled changed at the mention of Mammon’s name and a very faint blush crept along her cheeks. “Well, I’m pretty sure you noticed that I have zero power of Mammon’s actions. He’s going to do what he’s going to do.”

“I think you underestimated yourself a little. You influence his decisions a lot more than that.” As fun as it would be to tease Grace, Asmo didn’t want to upset her. A topic change was in order. “What shall I order for supper, since I doubt anyone out there is going to think of it.”

“I don’t think it’s going to matter much, just order whatever menu four times over,” she answered. She took a sip of the water. “You don’t seem worried. Does that mean the damage looked worse than it was?”

“Neither of them will die from it. Levi is probably going to whine. I mean, he’s going to really complain, even though I’ve taken worse on a good weekend evening with willing playmates. Couple of days, he’ll likely be fine. Beel should seek out a healer, but even if he doesn’t, he’ll take no permanent harm from this. I won’t tell you not to worry about them, but they will both be okay.” Asmo sighed, “The real problem is what comes next.”

“I’m sorry,” Grace apologized automatically.

“This isn’t your fault,” Asmo said firmly.

“Sometimes I wonder if it would have been better if I’d never come here at all,” Grace shook her head with a frown and then winced. “Maybe one of the other candidates wouldn’t have fucked this up so badly.”

Asmo didn’t like the tone in her voice. He didn’t like the phrase ‘it would be better if’. It was too often completed with ‘better if I wasn’t born’ or ‘better off if I hadn’t survived’. Maybe Grace didn’t mean it that way, but he didn’t like it none the less. He put his arm around her body and laid her head on his shoulder. “Sweetheart, you told Lord Diavolo himself that the program he designed was flawed. You were right. I don’t think anyone could do better with what they were given than you have. I know they wouldn’t have done it with half the creativity, style and flair.” Asmo leaned in to kiss her on the forehead. “I mean, seriously, you bit Beel back and strutted out of the courtyard like you owned this house and you just let us live here.”

Grace laughed. “I was just hoping that I wasn’t going to fall on my face. Glad I made the impression I wanted.”

“That you are fierce as hell and he’s a fucking idiot if he doesn’t get his head out of his ass?” Asmo asked.

“That I’m not scared of him. That I’m not beaten or broken yet. That this place is going to have to try a little harder if it wants to break me,” Grace answered. “Though I should lay off on sending that one into the universe too strongly. It seems to be taking it as a challenge.” She sighed and opened her eyes again. “Now to see if I can stand on my feet and walk again.”

Grace handed him the water bottle and cautiously started to stand. She used his shoulder for balance. Once she was standing, Asmo watched, ready if she needed help but not hovering. She took a couple of steps, then shook her head and sat down at the table. “Nope, not much better. I definitely think stairs would be a bad plan.”

“I’ll go get Levi, if it is pact issue, having him near might help,” Asmo offered, rising from the floor. “I’ll be right back.”

Asmo left the room and headed back the way he came. He could hear Mammon and Levi arguing long before he could see them.

“I am not friend-zoned!” Levi was shouting.

“Course ya are! Betcha she didn’t think twice about sleepin’ in yer room, did she? Cause her good friend Levi wouldn’t think of her that way,” Mammon argued.

Asmo rolled his eyes. It was going to be a long night.

“At least I didn’t have to hear in a family meeting about what Belphie did to her and she told me before she’d even told Lucifer about her Celestial heritage. She trusts me, and she didn’t need a pact to do it!” Levi argued.

Asmo felt the stab of that one. Like Mammon, he had only learned about those things after the fact and not from Grace’s lips.

“Well, she kissed me,” Mammon boasted.

“And she’s not likely to do it again if she hears you talking like that!” Asmo interrupted loudly. So, Grace had kissed Mammon, had she? That was interesting news. It was nice to have confirmation of his suspicions. It wasn’t important at the moment but it was still good to know. “Levi, why are you standing here arguing with Mammon when you should be taking care of Grace?”

“He said- he said she only picked me because he told her too!” All of the confidence Levi had shown earlier seemed to have disappeared under the weight of his own fear and insecurity with a helping hand from Mammon’s big mouth. “Mammon said that he didn’t want Beel’s sloppy seconds of a pact anyway. Mammon thinks I’m not a threat even with a pact with her, so him and Beel on a level playing field!”

“Levi, go to the kitchen. Grace is looking for you. Go,” Asmo suggested firmly. “Mammon and I should have a talk.”

“This ain’t none of yer business, Asmo.”

“I think it is,” Asmo said, stepping up to Mammon. He looked over his shoulder at Levi. “Go, your human needs you.”

Levi walked away, and Asmo turned his full attention on Mammon. “Some friendly advice from your younger brother who is way better with the opposite sex than you are.”

Mammon snorted. “I’ll pass. Especially since when it comes to this particular woman you’re batting’ zero.”

Asmo slapped him without even realizing his hand was in motion. “Learn when to shut your mouth. Even if you’ve got a shot with her, you’re going to fuck it up if she catches you saying any of that shit. Levi isn’t the one that pissed you off, don’t take your baggage out on him.”

“He started it,” Mammon claimed stubbornly.

“His sin is envy and she went to Beel’s side first,” Asmo shook his head. “And I bet you shot your mouth off at Beel and made him feel like he was even smaller in her eyes, of course, he started it. He’s battle-worn, tired and has a newly formed pact to deal with. Cut him some slack.”

Asmo could see Mammon could hear the truth in his words. Of course, instead of acknowledging it, Mammon mumbled “I should punch ya.”

“Do either of us want to deal with Lucifer if we start beating each other to a pulp right now?” Asmo asked.

“I ain’t scared of Lucifer!” Mammon declared proudly. “And I ain’t scared of you!”

“If you're in the dungeon, then I guess someone else will have to escort our princess to the dance. I mean, it is likely, she won’t be attending with Beel on her arm.” Asmo smiled at Mammon, knowing he’s won. Didn’t stop him from pressing the point though. “It would really be unfortunate if you didn’t even get to see her in the dress you helped get designed.”

“You are a fuckin’ asshole,” Mammon cursed.

“Just an asshole at the moment, I need a partner to be a ‘fucking’ asshole,” Asmo retorted with a smile. “Now, why don’t we take care of getting some food in the house and give Grace and Levi a few minutes.”

“Fine,” Mammon grumbled. “I’ll order supper and you call for groceries?”

Asmo nodded, hiding his relief. That was one crisis averted for the moment, but he had to wonder when the next one would strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems so unreal to me that this is Chapter 50. Wow.  
> Thank you all again for sticking with Grace and the boys on this journey.  
> Thank you for giving me an audience for my story.


	51. First Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Grace have a heart to heart in the kitchen

Levi walked toward the kitchen, grateful for the interruption Asmo had provided. Levi was struggling. He’d felt so empowered, so strong but it had only lasted until the final blow of the fight. The look on Grace’s face when she had approached Beel, had just taken all the wind out of his sails.

She should have congratulated him. That hug should have been his. That kiss should have been his. It had taken all of his willpower not to hiss and Beel and grab her away. Grace was his human now. Their pact had been earned blood that was drying between his scales.

How did Beel reward Grace for her loyalty? Levi had to resist the urge to hiss again, picturing the look on Grace’s face when she jerked away from him, and Beel slowly licked her blood from his lips. It had taken all of Levi’s willpower not to grab Beel by throat and squeeze, letting the last thing he tasted be that stolen blood.

The only thing that stopped him was Grace. Nothing something she said or did at the moment, but how well he knew her. She hated having other people fight her battles. So, Levi had reined himself in and let her fight this battle though he hadn’t been sure who her opponent was. Had it been Beel’s heartache and stubbornness? Was it her own fear? Either way, it was not a fight he could help Grace win, and she would not thank him for trying.

Levi stopped in front of the kitchen door and took a deep breath. He tried to silence the echoes of the things Mammon had shouted at Beel once Grace had walked away. Those words were so close to his own doubts and fears. That she hadn’t really chosen him at all. That he wasn’t worth choosing.

He reopened his eyes and put on his cheerful smile, before opening the door. Grace was sitting at the kitchen table. Her feet were bare and boots lying discarded on the floor. She glanced up at the sound of the door opening. Levi saw her smile falter, and it stabbed at him.

“Oh Levi,” Grace said, her voice full of concern. “It looks so much worse in this light.” She pushed the chair away from the table and rose to her feet. “How bad does it hurt? What do you need? What can I do?” Grace took a few steps towards him.

Levi almost backed away from her. He wanted to believe her concern was sincere but still stung that it came so late. Grace tentatively touched his right arm. It was the part of his uncovered body that showed the most dramatic bruises.

The moment her fingers touched his bare skin as a sense of peace washed over him. Levi felt like he could breathe for the first time since the duel ended. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath in and then let it out in a shuddering sigh. When he reopened his eyes, he saw that hers were now closed and Grace’s face reflected the same tranquillity he felt.

“Oh,” she breathed out softly. “That’s so much better.”

Levi nodded. Some of his anxiety had passed. They’d not touched since the pact had been shifted. Though the ritual had not mentioned it being necessary, it made sense that touch would be needed to cement the shift. “I agree,” he replied.

“You were feeling unsteady too?” Grace asked.

“You could say that,” Levi answered, a real smile replacing the fake one he’d donned before entering the room. His doubts and fears had not left him, but Levi felt a little more balanced and able to confront them. “I think the pact hadn’t quite anchored, yet.” He paused and then frowned. “Sorry, it’s been a very long time since I’ve had one. I should have noticed sooner.”

She smiled up at him. “You don’t have to apologize for not knowing exactly how some obscure ritual that has been only done six times before works and how it feels.” Grace shifted her eyes back to his arm. “Does icing a bruise help demons? Let’s see if we have some. Hopefully, Beel didn’t eat that too.”

Grace turned from him and went to the freezer. Levi had something in mind later that would help more than ice would, but a part of him was happy to see her fuss over him. So he sat down and let her make an ice pack and apply to the worst of the bruising on his arm.

“I never pictured you in a pact before,” Grace admitted. She stood next to him, gently holding the cloth wrapped ice to his skin without applying much pressure. “Have you had many?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I’m a demon. Collecting souls gives me power, why wouldn’t I have had pacts?” Levi knew he sounded defensive, but he was still feeling oversensitive because of the seed Mammon planted. The idea that she hadn’t picked him of her own accord. That maybe, he was just her second choice. “I’ll have you know that before humans started flying, there was a long list of people that wanted me. Explorers, pirates, conquerors and even tribal chieftains wanted to make sure their people didn’t starve, all them summoned Leviathan wanting a pact.”

“Oh,” Grace replied. She slid the ice downward with just as much care for his comfort, trying to soothe and cause no further pain.

Oh? All she had to say was oh? He’s been hoping for a little more of a reaction than that. He leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling. This was why he didn’t people. He couldn’t even tell what kind of ‘oh’ that was. Was it an impressed one? Or annoyed because she thought he was boasting? Or was she expressing disbelief? Did Grace think he was lying?

“Levi? What’s wrong?” Grace asked.

“Why did you choose me Grace?” Levi moved his head to look at her. “I understand if you felt you had a choice, you would have left your soul and your pact with Beel, but I need to know why of all my brothers you picked me.”

“We probably should have had this conversation before the duel. Fuck, I’m sorry Levi.”

Levi closed his eyes. She was already apologizing. This was off to a bad start.

“This is way more important that what I was going to wear. I can’t believe I was that stupid.” Grace’s frustration was clear in the tone of her voice. She put the ice pack down on the table and reached over, taking Levi’s hands in her own. “My first pact was a choice, but it was a choice I made in fear and desperation. Even before you and Satan brought this ritual to my attention today, Lucifer had pressed upon me the idea that I might need a second pact in order to fix the damage that was done to my mind. If I was going to do it a second time, I was going to do it right. So I thought about it. Who would I trust my soul to? My first choice would have been you, but I was afraid that you wouldn’t want a pact.”

“Me?” Levi asked. “Not Mammon?”

“You,” she squeezed his hands. Grace tilted her head and looked confused for a second. “Why would you think Mammon? Did he say something?”

Levi remained silent. He wasn’t going to parrot back to Grace the hurtful things that Mammon had said to Beel. Grace didn’t need anymore to deal with, and he wasn’t a rat.

Seeing that Levi wasn’t going to answer her question, Grace nodded to herself before continuing. “I could tell you the reasons I didn’t choose your brothers, but I think its better that you hear the reasons that you were and are my first choice.”

First choice? Did she mean that? As Levi tried to summon the courage to ask, Grace continued talking.

There was a smile on her lips, but she shifted her eyes from him. “You know me. You know me better than any of them, probably even Beel. You have my back, but let me fight the battles you know I can handle.” She paused and considered her next words. “You are smart and meticulous. How many games have you’ve got one hundred percent completion on? I have no doubt that together we can fix what Belphie broke.”

Levi had almost forgotten that they needed to do that. Not that he had forgotten what had happened to her, or the toll it was taking on her. Levi had become more focussed on her fear letting Belphie touch her mind to undo that damage, and in the process, the fact that he would need to help her with that had been shifted to the back burner. Especially once she had chosen him and the fight with Beel had been imminent.

Grace bit her lip and took a deep breath. “Most importantly, I trust you Levi. You were my friend when I was an annoying noob, you were my friend when you found out I was Grace, and I’m choosing to have faith that you will still be my friend when I let you see all the dark and broken parts of me.”

Levi didn’t know what to say. It was a lot to digest. However, his subconscious had an opinion and expressed it very clearly. Levi’s tail snaked it’s way around her waist and yanked her down. He registered the pain the motion caused him about the same time Grace landed on his lap.

Grace was looking at him. Levi wasn’t sure what to say. She awkwardly looked away and moved to get up. “I’m sure you hurt enough without putting this kind of stress on your body.”

Levi was torn between letting her up and keeping her where she was. She was not the only one with dark and broken parts. Instead of letting her flee, wrapped his arms around her. “Stay,” he said, in a whisper.

“You sure?” she asked hesitantly.

“I’m sure it’s good for our new pact,” Levi answered, evasively. He wasn’t ready to admit to Grace that wanted her close just for the sake he wanted her close. He wasn’t ready to think about what wanting another person close might mean. “Probably will make us both feel a lot better, right?”

“Right,” she agreed and stopped trying to leave.

“First choice?” Levi asked again, still not quite believing it.

“Until you offered at the school, I wouldn’t have asked. You like your space. Your quiet. I couldn’t imagine you wanting to be tied to anyone.”

“I wouldn’t want to be tied to just anyone,” Levi answered. “But you are special, and not because you are part-angel, and not because you are related to Lilith. Special enough, that I think I can make an exception in your case.”

“Well, you are stuck with me now. No refunds,” Grace said with a teasing smile.

“No refunds,” Levi agreed.

The door opened, interrupting the moment. Mammon and Asmo entered the room. Levi wondered how long they had stood outside listening before they had chosen to enter.

“Food’s on the way!” Mammon announced. His eyes narrowed to see Grace sitting on Levi’s lap. His tail tightened slightly in response to the look of disapproval on Mammon’s face. “Ya’ should get up,” Mammon said, addressing Grace. “Lucifer demands we all eat together tonight.”

Levi smirked. “But Belphie’s back, are you sure we have enough dining room chairs?”

Asmo chortled with delight and clapped his hands.

Mammon looked at Levi, “I just bought the new set and I know we’ve got a dozen chairs. Nice try.”

Grace leaned over and gave Levi a chaste peck on the cheek. “Speaking of letting me fight my own battles…” Grace whispered in his ear before she sighed and slid off of his lap. “Mammon, since we have time before the food gets here perhaps you can explain to me why Levi thought that you were my first choice?”

The look on Mammon’s face was priceless, as he looked a little intimidated by the human approaching him. Asmo winked at Levi and leaned against the wall, ready to enjoy the show. Levi chuckled softly as he picked up the ice pack and held it to a, particularly tender spot. This was going to be entertaining.


	52. Neverending Arguments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The duel was fought and one, but many things are not settled.

Grace did not want to deal with this situation. She wanted to just fucking ignore it and go take a nap. Screw the damn family dinner because how was that going to be anything but a disaster? But, she couldn’t ignore her gut, and it was telling her they needed to deal with this now instead of it exploding later. Lucifer was right about one thing. They all had far too much on their plates to be fighting each other.

First things first, Grace needed to remove the audience. “Asmo,” Grace looked past Mammon to where Asmodeus was leaning against the wall. 

“Out. This doesn’t involve you.”

“It’s not like I’m not going to hear all about it later.” Asmo gave her a charming smile. “Why can’t I stay and enjoy the show?”

“Out,” Grace repeated firmly. “And do me a favour and please stop anyone one else from butting in?”

“Bribe me,” Asmo demanded with a wink.

Oh, she did not have the patience to play his game tonight. “Hey Levi, you haven’t seen me set anything on fire yet?” Grace asked in a conversational tone, holding Asmo’s eyes. “Like to see a demonstration?”

Asmo pushed his body away from the wall and pouted at her.“You are no fun, sweetheart.”

“Too tired to be fun, Asmo,” Grace replied. “Ceasefire on teasing until tomorrow?”

“I think I can manage until midnight,” he counter-offered. Asmo touched her shoulder on his way past.

Now that he was gone, Grace could try to figure out what had happened after she left the courtyard. She returned her attention to Mammon. While she was sure that the demon she had woken up next to, the one who had blanketed her with his wing meant no harm, Grace knew him well enough to know that sometimes he spoke without thinking. Mammon had his arms crossed and his posture defensive. This was going to be an uphill battle. “Mammon, what happened after I left?”

“What did Levi say happened?” he countered, with a frown.

“Nothing, Levi didn’t say a word, but he seems to think that he wasn’t my first choice.” Her twilight eyes sought out Levi’s orange ones. She could still see lingering doubt in them. Grace sighed and braced herself. She had no idea how this was going to go. “So I’m going to make this abundantly clear to both of you. He was my first choice, and there is no arguing that point because it was MY choice to make.” Grace walked over to Mammon and reached out to him. He pulled away from her touch. Yeah, this was not going well.

The prospect of just giving up on this shit was looking more and more appealing. Just go upstairs, skip another meal, and deal with the consequences later. But, later was when she was going to need them. No, that was a lie. She needed them now, but she could not survive tomorrow at odds with half of the household. There could be no giving up or quitting tonight.

Grace took another step toward Mammon, and he unconsciously retreated another pace. When his back touched the wall, she finally succeeded in laying a hand on his bare chest. “You chose not to offer to be my champion. I respect that. I respect even more you for coming to tell me why.” Grace hoped that from the angle that Levi was watching he could not see her skin flush. Just the mere memory of the kiss Mammon had given her, and more than the kiss, the emotion in it, made her heart race a little, from both fear and excitement. “No matter what you may have said later, the fact of the matter is that you endorsed Levi. You wanted me to choose him over both Satan and Asmo. Mammon, I have faith that you would not have done that unless you believed that he was the best possible choice. The best caretaker for my soul.”

She had to believe that. The Mammon that gave her hope when she was falling to pieces on the balcony wouldn’t want her to put her soul in the hands of someone who wouldn’t take care of it. The Mammon that told her before stealing both a kiss and her breath that he wanted a part of her all of his own, wouldn’t put any of her at risk for selfish reasons. She had to keep her faith in that because Grace didn’t know if she could survive being wrong about him.

Mammon was looking at her now. His mask was cracking, but not enough for her to see underneath it. She lifted her hand from his chest and laid it on his cheek instead. “Just like I have faith that if you accidentally said something hurtful, that it was motivated by pain, and not malice.”

Mammon shifted his eyes away from her and looked at Levi. Grace sighed again. It was getting to be a habit. Mammon wasn’t going to let down his guard, not in front of Levi. Damn, well at least she tried. She pulling her hand away slowly, gently stroking Mammon’s cheek as she let him go. The way he half-closed his eyes at the touch made her want to blush. 

She shook her head. No. There was no time to be distracted by these incredibly good looking demons that were sneaking their way past her defences. There was still a family dinner to get through. Grace turned her back on Mammon and took two steps toward the table. She turned her head to look at him. “If you did say something, remember Levi and Beel probably wouldn’t repeat to me, but I’ve known Belphie less than a day and I already know he fights dirty. Think about if you want me to hear it from him or you.”

Grace would let him contemplate that, and focused on Levi. “Remember Levi, no matter what anyone says, I chose you, and whether he’ll admit it or not, Mammon chose you too. I don’t care what they think. I don’t care what they say. You are my demon now, got it?”

Levi smiled at her, and the smile made at least some of the weight on her shoulders disappear. Somehow, Grace had found the right words to chase that doubt that had been clouding his eyes away. His orange eyes were clear and bright, that smile was genuine, and his posture less strained. “Why do I feel like I should be calling you sir now?”

Grace wished she had the emotional energy left to play with him. She couldn’t even come up with a witty reply at this point, but she could and did return his smile. “We ready to do this?” Grace asked, reaching out for Levi’s hand while turning her head to smile at Mammon. 

It was Mammon who turned the question back to her, “We should be askin’ you that. Sure ya’ just don’t want to blow this off?”

“Oh, I really, really want to, Mammon. But I think Lucifer needs this. So, I’ll play nice, or at least as nice as I can, which might not be saying much at this point of the day.”

“I don’t fuckin’ care what he wants,” Mammon said bluntly. “Do ya need ta tap out?”

“Do you think that Lucifer is right? Do you think that Lord Diavolo has an ulterior motive for all of this?” Grace gestured helplessly with her hands.

“Out of the billions of humans walking the planet, a human/angel hybrid that just happens to be related to our lost sister being chosen to be a human exchange student? It is a lot of coincidences,” Levi admitted. “Even if it was all just hand of fate, that no one caught that you weren’t entirely human in the section process is absurd.”

Still looking at Mammon, Grace asked another question. “If Lord Diavolo means you and your family harm, could you take him without Lucifer being at his best?”

Mammon shifted his jaw stubbornly. It was more than clear that he wanted to answer her with a definitive yes. However, when he opened his mouth, Mammon reluctantly agreed with her. “No, not Lord Diavolo and Barabatos together.”

“Then, I am going to try to be kind.” She emphasized the word try. “Like you recognized what I needed last night, I’m willing to try to be sensitive to what he must be going through and what he needs to get through it.” Grace paused and then added, “Even if personally, I want to pluck his wings bald one feather at a time for what his secrets and lies have put me through.”

For a demon who was so often in control, it had to be hard that things had spiralled so far out of hand. Grace figured that this command that they share a table was his way of regaining some feeling of agency. Grace could understand that on a deep level, there were times she felt the same. So, Grace would do her best to be civil and let him win on this front. Grace would sit down at the table, and make sure Mammon did too. Grace could at least listen to his plans and the reasons for those plans. No promises that she wouldn’t argue though. Her body, mind, heart and soul were exhausted. Her patience was spent.

More important than soothing his wounded pride, Grace realized that Lucifer probably needed something else, something more. Something he probably couldn’t admit to. Tonight would be the first chance in months for Lucifer to see all his family seated at one table. She could not claim that she truly understood what family meant to them, but she could respect the depth of those ties. Maybe he needed an opportunity to see that while this duel and the events leading up to it might have strained his family, it had not broken it. At least, Grace hoped, almost prayed, that it hadn’t. Jury might still be out on that issue. 

Levi rose from his seat and took the offered hand. “You know, H3NR1 might be a Paladin but I’m thinking Grace might be a Bard or Blue Mage. I’m undecided, cause you have a way with words and always do the unexpected.”

“Ugh, talk about that nonsense on yer own time,” Mammon grumbled, passing them and going in the dining room. “Let’s get this shit over with.”

The door slammed shut behind him and Grace winced. Levi looked at her, his smile becoming concerned. “You sure you got this?”

Grace reluctantly nodded, “Yeah, I got this.”

Levi squeezed her hand and led her through the doors.

Before Grace could even see the table, she could smell the spices of the food. Devildom’s version of Mexican cuisine seemed to be on the menu tonight. The table was laden with quite literally the entire menu of a restaurant. Salads, salsa, tacos, burritos, and things Grace wasn’t even going to try to identify. Grace’s stomach gave a faint tumble, reminding her that lunch had been a long time ago and that it was indeed needing some attention.

“Hurry up, ya two!” Mammon shouted. “Beel’s already halfway done his first plate!” 

Given the carnage, Beel had left in his wake earlier and the abundance on the table, Grace didn’t feel that a moment delay would cause either her or Levi to starve. However, Mammon probably was trying to draw attention to the fact he’d already pulled out Grace’s chair, and that the was an additional place setting to the other side of it. At first, Grace thought that maybe more progress had been made than she thought in the kitchen. Unfortunately, when she looked at the table and where everyone was seated, Grace realized the Belphie was sitting in what used to be Levi’s seat, which was next to Beel. Great, he would be seated directly across from her the entire meal.

While Beel was already clearing off that first plate, the rest had at least waited until the rest of the family had arrived before starting the meal. Once she, Levi and Mammon settled into their chairs, everyone began to serve themselves. 

This meal was unlike any she’d shared with them since her arrival. Not just because Belphie was sharing it with them. All of the Avatars were still in their demonic forms. Either emotions were still high, or perhaps they had figured it was no longer worth the effort of hiding who they were at their core. It created not only a different feel to the room but a different sound as well. Wings and tails would shift, adding the foreign sounds to the normal clink and clatter of the cutlery. It seemed loud to Grace’s ears, especially since there was no conversation other than requests to pass the platters. Grace would have preferred the normal bickering to this cold politeness. It was unsettling and worse, it was her fault. 

Occasionally, she would feel Beel’s eyes on her, but every time she looked, they were glued on the plate in front of him. Belphie, on the other hand, never stopped looking at her. It was hard not to occasionally catch his eyes since they were seated directly across from each other. His gaze was intense and Grace went between feeling like she was a puzzle he was trying to solve and that she was something delicious he wanted to taste. His eyes made her feel angry and uncomfortable, and she shifted awkwardly in her chair. 

Something petted her leg. Grace hadn’t been expecting it, and it startled her. She would have panicked, if she hadn’t noticed Levi wink at her from the corner of her eye and realized it was his tail. Levi was just trying to give her some subtle support. Grace narrowly avoided laughing. For someone who didn’t seem that fond of touch, Levi’s tail could be quite ‘handsy’ for lack of a better word.

Lucifer watched over them all. He was silent, but his eyes touched on each of his siblings as the meal progressed. Once everyone but Beel had finished one plate, he was already on his third at that point, Lucifer cleared his throat signalling that he wanted their attention. 

“Despite tonight’s events, in public, we need to be presenting a unified front. It is vital that any grievance we have with each other stays behind the closed doors of our home. Do I make myself clear?”

Satan was the one to answer. “You made that point clear yesterday, I don’t see the need to reiterate it today.”

“Grace was not present yesterday,” Lucifer replied looking directly at her.

She did not shy away from his gaze. Grace was aware she was short-tempered at the moment, so she tried to choose her words carefully. “I will not apologize for listening to Mammon’s advice and taking the time I needed to process the events of the last forty-eight hours.” Grace wanted to go on. She wanted to vent some of her pent up frustration and the anger she kept repressing. Instead, she continued to swallow those emotions and said no more.

Mammon shifted in his chair, his eyes on Lucifer, almost daring the eldest to make an issue of it. Grace laid her fingers lightly on the fist, his hand had curled into under the table.

Lucifer ignored Mammon and kept both his attention and his eyes focused on her. “The reasons that prompted your choice, unfortunately, do no change the fact that you are not fully informed on the situation or the plans to rectify it.”

Grace managed to bite back the retort that came to mind but was not able to prevent less than ladylike snort that was her immediate unfiltered reaction. Lucifer had been keeping an enormous secret from his entire family for the entirety of their existence as demons, and he expected her to believe that she would ever be fully informed on any situation?

“Yes, there were secrets I kept,” Lucifer admitted, acknowledging her wordless objection. “But they are all out in the open now. I regret how they have impacted you.”

Though he continued speaking, Grace didn’t actually hear what he said next. Impacted her? The choice of that word made her squeeze Mammon’s fist, grinding his bones together. It felt like Lucifer was belittling her suffering. Impacted her? No, the secrets he had kept had torn at her and left her scarred and still bleeding.

Grace closed her eyes, bit her tongue, and waited silently as he outlined for her the plan he had devised for the situation. She could not guess at his intentions, but the way he was speaking made her feel like she was nothing more than a problem to be solved. Things that were going to be traumatic and painful to endure were boiled down to things to check off a to-do list. 

She might have lost it at him. If it were not for three things, Grace would have torn a strip off of the being that had once been the glory of heaven. The first was the hand that Mammon had laid down on top of the one she was currently using to crush his other hand. The second was Levi’s tail, which had snuck it’s way between her chair and her back in order to curl itself around her waist. The third was the potential threat of Lord Diavolo. If there was one thing she could agree with Lucifer on, it was the need for a unified front.

“Grace?” Lucifer asked. It must have been for the second time since there was a note of impatience in his voice. “Are you going to answer my question?”

“Yes, I was giving it the due consideration it deserved,” Grace replied as she tried to remember what it was he had asked.

Satan came to the rescue, rephrasing it. “While it had been a long day if you have a few minutes this evening for us to go through the file on you that Lucifer was given?”

Right, Lucifer had asked when she was going to do that. She nodded her head to Satan in appreciation. “Yes, tonight would be better than tomorrow. Levi, come with me?” Grace hated to ask this of him. She could only imagine how tired he was, and how much he wanted to get cleaned up. But, selfishly, Grace thought she was going to need him. She was pretty sure as Lucifer had put it, that there were ‘discrepancies’ in it. Levi was going go know most of it soon anyway, if she had to tell Satan, then Levi might as well hear it then too.

“Course,” Levi answered.

Grace blinked, composed herself and slid her eyes back over to Lucifer. “Now that you’ve addressed the big picture, I feel we need to spend equal time considering the small one.”

“What are you suggesting?” Lucifer asked.

“While you are focussing on gathering all this covert information on the exchange program, in order to maintain the appearance of normal you crave so much, there are many things that need to happen. I still need to tutor Darwin, get the dress fitted, run my club meeting, and lie to my new friends. Remember that is on top of, getting Levi to help me fix my memories, getting accustomed to a huge change in my personal identity and making sure that I have control of the powers with this new heritage. Oh, and my soul changed hands tonight.”

“What do you need?” Lucifer asked.

She was glad he asked, truly she was glad, but she couldn’t help compare how those words sounded coming from his lips to how Levi had spoken the same sentence. Lucifer seemed to be preparing for a list of demands that he would evaluate the validity of before granting any of them. Levi’s words had been an open honest plea with no strings attached, no judgement. If she had asked for a hug or a head on a pike, Grace had felt that he would have granted either request without question.

“A week of sick days, but I know that’s not possible.” Grace laughed hollowly. “First and foremost, I won’t be joining you for breakfast tomorrow, or any time in the near future. I need the time to emotionally prepare for the day without having to look at Belphie over the table. Speaking of Belphie,” she glanced at him quickly then looked away. “I will not be alone with him. If I need to interact with him, one of the other brothers needs to be with him. Also, I need the kitchen instead of the potions lab this week to host my club, since obviously, I can’t get away with skipping that too. I’ll be cancelling the weekend meeting because most of the girls have beauty treatments scheduled for the big dance.”

Lucifer looked at her and contemplated her requests. After a moment, he slowly nodded. “Anything else?” 

Yes, yes there was. This was a question she didn’t want to ask, but she needed to know. She looked toward Beel and bit her lip. She regretted it immediately, as her normal outlet for anxiety throbbed with pain and she tasted iron in her mouth. She swallowed the little bit of blood before getting to the point. “Can other demons sense who my pact is with?” She blinked rapidly before looking back to Lucifer. She wanted no hint of the tears that wanted to fall. 

“No,” Lucifer said confidently.

“Actually,” Asmo contradicted. “It might be possible. I know Grace’s aura, and I would notice a difference. Not necessarily what was wrong with it, but know that something had changed. Any demons in my sphere would have the potential to know something was wrong. But, since she isn’t close to many demons outside this room, it is very unlikely, but we can’t discount the possibility.” Asmo thought about it, then added, “Though I’d be more worried about Solomon discovering the truth than other demons. With the number of pacts he’s had, Solomon is very sensitive to their energy signatures.” Asmo looked at Beel and then at Grace. “The bigger problem is this morning Beel was greeting her with a bear hug at the entrance of the school, and right now, he doesn’t want to look her in the eyes. Tongues will be wagging.”

“Do you blame me?” Beel asked, speaking for the first time since the meal had begun. “I feel angry. I feel betrayed and I feel hollow. It hurts to look at her. I don’t want it to but it hurts.” Belphie had been reaching to comfort Beel before the words had even left his twin’s mouth. 

Grace winced. Asmo was right. This was a huge challenge to maintaining the semblance of normal that Lucifer demanded. Grace swallowed the lump in her throat and looked at Beel once more. He still would not even look at her in the eyes.

Conversation sprang up around her. Who was going to take her to the dance? Should they stage a break-up? Who should break up with who? Grace heard the questions, but couldn’t care about the answers. 

All she could think about was that hug this morning. The way he had held her as though it had been months since he had seen her last instead of just days. The worried smile he’d given her, that had warmed when she’d smiled back. 

Grace closed her eyes and just let it be noise for a while. It was getting harder and harder to try when nothing she did seemed to help, and only hurt. Her breath was becoming panicked and shallow. This was the last straw, it was such a tiny, tiny straw but it was enough.

The warmth of Mammon’s hand left hers then a sharp whistle pierced through the air. The sound was shrill, hurt her ears and startled her enough to open her eyes. The table was silent and all eyes were on Mammon. “She’ll go with me!” he shouted. “Excuse is that that designer wants photos of us to show off the dress, and me bein’ a model works better for his portfolio. ’An’ it was part of the design contract. So Beel can be a pissy bitch about it cause he can’t do shit to stop her going’ with me. No need for some dumb ass breakup drama. Fuck, give ‘em time to figure shit out.”

Asmo looked at Mammon with an impressed expression. “That’s actually a good idea.” Then he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Too good for you to have come up with so quickly.”

“‘Cause I was tempted ta ask Denetri to write that inta the contract.” Mammon looked at Grace guiltily. “But I didn’t!” 

Lucifer bellowed Mammon’s name, and Beel growled at him. Grace just chuckled tiredly. It would have been a very Mammon thing to do.

“Can’t blame me for tryin’ ta get a little somethin’ out of the time and effort I put into gettin’ everything arranged,” Mammon said, with a shrug. Then he looked at Beel, “But like I told ya’ in the courtyard Beel, I want an even playin’ field. I ain’t gonna cheat.”

“Dressing it up with pretty words now, Mammon?” Belphie said. “I thought you said you didn’t want a ‘sloppy seconds’ pact?”

“Shut up, Belphie!”

Grace wasn’t sure who shouted that because once more the table descended in chaos. Grace closed her eyes again. They were all arguing again. This. This was what she had been trying to prevent, to avoid. Grace finally released her death grip on Mammon’s hand and covered her ears. She didn’t want to hear anymore. 

Her fears and doubts grew in volume in her head, almost drowning out the chaos around her. She wasn’t worth this. Grace hated that she was the cause of this strife. She hated she was the one deepening the wounds in their family. Yes, though she would not say the words out loud, right now, a part of her wished that Player Two had just let her drink the damn tea. Grace could not see the light at the end of the tunnel.

No. She was not going to let her inner demons do more damage to her than the real one. If she couldn’t see the light then she would have to make some for herself. Grace was going to have to take this one damn baby step at a time. One problem at a time. Problem one. Stop the fucking yelling. 

Grace opened her eyes and pulled her hands away from her ears. She moved her hand down and patted Levi’s tail, signalling for him to let her go. Grace rose from her chair and yelled at the top of her lungs. “ENOUGH!”

She was surprised when it actually worked but tried not to show it. “Will one of you please tell me what lie I’m telling tomorrow? It’s nearly ten, I still have to look over my file with Satan and actually get some sleep so I can keep masquerading as your happy and healthy fucking pet-human tomorrow! Once someone tells me that, you can go back to screaming at each other.”

The silence lasted a few moments and was broken by Beel. “We can go with what Mammon said.” For the first time, he actually looked her in the eyes. His eyes were darker than normal, and she could see his exhaustion and sorrow in them. He blinked and looked away, breaking even that moment of connection.

“Thank you,” Grace looked at Satan. “Does now work for you?”

Satan pushed his chair back from the table. “Yes, it does.”

Levi got up to leave the table too. “Let’s go.”

Lucifer looked like he wanted to say something, but chose to keep his silence. Grace managed to leave the room, without having to listen to any more of the arguing. She followed Satan up the stairs. Grace almost walked into him when he stopped on the second-floor landing. 

“Go to bed,” Satan said firmly.

“But-“ Grace started to protest but Satan interrupted her.

“You’ve been tough as nails, kitten, but there hasn’t been a break in any of this since I found you in the kitchen. One more night won’t matter. You need sleep, and I’m not taking no for an answer.” Satan’s voice was gentle. “And before you argue, I will focus on tracing your lineage tonight and tomorrow after classes we will check your file. Very little time will be lost.”

She opened her mouth to argue but Levi spoke up from behind her. “He’s right. We both need rest. Crashing with me tonight, or do you want to go to your room?”

“You,” she answered without thinking about it. After the words left her mouth, she wondered if he had just offered out of politeness. “That is if you don’t mind.”

“Wouldn’t have offered, if I didn’t want you there. Go get ready. I’ll see you in a bit.”

Levi started down the hall, and Grace watched him in a daze for a second then called out, “What’s the password today?”

“The Lord of Flies is starving and lonely,” Levi replied.

“Got it,” Grace acknowledged. She shifted her eyes back to Satan. “About my parentage.” Grace paused. “You might not have that much luck with that. I’m an orphan.”

She forced herself to keep a smile on her face, as though that truth was a poorly healed wound in her heart. Orphan. She hated that word and all it represented. She knew that it was at the root of many of her issues, and shaped so much of how she dealt with love and life. It was hard to feel you had worth when your own parents gave you away.

“Really?” Satan said with a quizzical look.

“That not in the file?” Grace asked. 

“No, it isn’t,” he said. “So you have no idea who your parents are?”

“No,” Grace answered, shaking her head. “Grew up in an assortment of foster homes and other care facilities. Look, you sure you don’t want to go over that paperwork after all? I don’t want you wasting your time tonight.”

“Sleep,” Satan said firmly. He gently pushed her in the direction of her room. “Go to bed. Tomorrow is another day.”

Grace made a disgruntled noise but obeyed anyway. “Good night, Satan.”

“Good night, Grace,” he said in return.

Opening the door to her room, Grace quickly went inside. With haste, she changed into leggings and an oversized t-shirt. As she flipped the light off and closed the door behind her, Grace hoped that Levi’s new love seat was comfortable.


	53. My Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace wakes up in the middle of the night in Levi's room.

Grace yawned and opened her eyes. It took a moment for her to remember where she was, but the soft glow of the jellyfish lights above the bathtub made it clear. She closed her eyes again and rolled onto her side, hugging her pillow.

It wasn’t what she wanted to be holding. Grace was getting spoiled. Until Beel, it had been almost two years since someone had shared her bed. After only a couple weeks of sharing his, now she wanted to hold someone warm. She wanted to feel their heartbeat and feel their breath as it stirred her hair. That was the comfort she craved, but for now, the pillow would have to do.

Levi hadn’t wanted to go to sleep right away, but it was obvious that he had finally succumbed. He had been quite insistent that he check his games, but Grace had been tired enough that it hadn’t mattered. His new loveseat pulled out into a small bed, and after sending a few messages, Grace had buried herself under blankets and pillows. She had dozed off to the background music of his game peppered with his occasional cursing.

She wasn’t sure why she was awake now. Maybe Levi had shifted in his sleep and the sound of the water moving had caught her attention. Levi had warned her that he would be sleeping in water tonight and had looked a little embarrassed about it. He had stammered over talking about it, reminding her that he couldn’t drown so not to panic that he was fully submerged. It would apparently help him heal more quickly.

Grace wasn’t sure why that seemed to make him nervous. Was he worried that it would make him seem more monstrous and inhuman? If so, that was silly. She had watched him fight for her with that same demonic form only hours prior. If he could accept Grace as she was, then she could so the same. Levi was Levi, it didn’t matter if his face was hiding behind his game system or submerged in water. 

Her DDD buzzed. Grace reached over her head to grab it from where she had left it balanced on the fabric arm of the couch.

**UNKNOWN:** Grace, can I ask you a question?

She looked at the message, wondering who it was. Then her tired mind caught up. It had to be Belphie. Of course, he would somehow get her number. It had probably been provided to him for practical reasons, or he snagged it from a group chat, or plain just stole it from Beel’s DDD.

Grace had decided to ignore him. He could ask all he wanted, she didn’t have to answer. Grace checked her other messages that had come in while she slept. Mostly from club members acknowledging the change in location for the midweek meeting. She’d also planted the seed so that the gossip train got moving. She’d let Fri, Zara and Kiva know that she found out about the rider Mammon had put in the contract.

She skimmed through the responses in their personal text chain. The reactions were varied, to say the least. Fri thought it was kinda romantic. Kiva was offering to give Mammon a black eye. Zara was just amused and of course thought that Grace, Beel and Mammon should just have a threesome to work it out. Grace chuckled softly as her DDD chimed again.

**UNKNOWN:** Don’t ignore me. I know you are awake.

**GRACE:** I’m assuming you are Belphie. Fuck off and I thought I told you to stay the hell away from my mind asshole. If you aren’t Belphie, the fuck off still applies.

**UNKNOWN:** Yes, Belphie, and I can just tell when people are awake or sleeping. Not something I can turn off. 

Grace added him as a contact only because then she could give him a name, and not keep thinking she had an unknown stalker. Not that Grace didn’t think of him as a stalker, but at least he was a known stalker. Once she’d done that, Grace returned to reading the conversation between her friends. Zara apparently had first-hand experience with one of the two demons and advice to impart.

**BELPHIE:** Just one question.

Grace continued to ignore him until he dangled some bait on the hook.

**BELPHIE:** Don’t you want to know how Beel is doing? I’ll tell you if you answer my question.

Of course, she wanted to know how Beel was doing. Grace had sent Beel a good night message that he hadn’t replied to. Not that she had really expected him to, but a part of her had hoped that maybe he could have given her at least that.

How dare Belphie continue to use Beel to get his way? Grace really wanted to ignore him, and rather let Belphie get what he wanted. On the other hand, she had so many questions. Was Beel’s pain manageable? Those tears to his wings had looked horrifying to her. Had he properly tended his wounds? Was Beel sleeping now? Was it a comfortable sleep or was he restless?

**GRACE:** That is low. Of course, I want to know! If you had been smart you would have just opened by telling me how he is instead of trying to manipulate me.

**BELPHIE:** If I had nothing to trade you would not talk to me and something about the duel is bothering me. But, you are right, I should start thinking long game. Winning your trust with gestures of kindness.

**GRACE:** You should stop thinking of it as a game at all!! Now ask your damn question and be done with it.

**BELPHIE:** Why did you attack Mammon and try to go to Beel’s side?

Grace thought back. Had she done that? Her eye widened at the memory. That moment had gotten lost in the chaos that chased so quickly on its heels. Yes, she had wanted to go to Beel’s side though want wasn’t quite strong enough of a word. It had felt more like a need. She had needed to go to Beel. Yes, she had stomped on Mammon’s foot, but no, he had not let her go. What would she have done if Mammon had let her go? Grace didn’t know the answer to that herself. So, why had she done it?

**BELPHIE:** You ignoring me again?

**GRACE:** I’m thinking.

**BELPHIE:** Oh, do all humans take this long to think or is it just you?

**GRACE:** Fuck you.

Nope. Game over. There was no bribe good enough to keep this conversation going. Grace held her thumb over the power switch. Then a photo came through. 

Beel was asleep, curled up on his side. There was no peace to be found on his face. His features were furrowed and he looked worried. Though the cuts Levi had made on his body still showed, they were reduced to only the thinnest of lines that needed no bandages. By tomorrow, Grace would think they might almost be gone. 

**BELPHIE:** Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. He’s having a rough night, and you know its rough when I can’t sleep. And while I lay here next to him and try to help him rest and heal, I can’t help but wonder what was going through your mind. It was almost over. Even Beel knew he’s lost. You needed him to lose. What would you have done if Mammon hadn’t held you back?

Grace looked at the photo again. Belphie didn’t chide her for the long time it took her to answer this time.

**GRACE:** He needed me. Beel was my demon and he needed me.

She herself didn’t know what she meant by that, but it was the only answer she had. Grace changed the topic back to Beel.

**GRACE:** How is he really? Is he going to see a healer? How are his wings?

**BELPHIE:** No, he’s too stubborn to go to a healer. I’ve got his wings taped. There are no sections missing, so they should heal cleanly. I think he should stay home, and in his demon form until those tears heal a bit more, but I’m not sure Lucifer will allow it. He’s exhausted and he’s starving. Sometimes he interprets all powerful emotions as hunger, so I hope someone stocks the fridge accordingly.

Grace set her phone down, thinking that she was done with him for the night. She was wrong. A few minutes later it buzzed again.

**BELPHIE:** I’m more worried about the things I can’t patch up. Beel wasn’t exaggerating when he said he felt hollow. There is an empty place in him where you used to be and I think that hurts him more than all of the wounds on his body. I feel it too. That hollow spot where you belong. We never had a pact, but I feel it’s loss all the same.

A picture followed next, it was of both him and Beel. Belphie holding the camera as far above them as he could. Oh, he had a specific intent for what he wanted this photo to convey. He was shirtless, his body posed to make a beautiful counterpoint to Beel’s position. His eyes were looking directly at the camera, his lips curled with an inviting smile and his free hand was laying on the bed between them. His index finger was curled as though to beckon her.

**BELPHIE:** I bet you feel it too. You already miss him, and what you had. When you are ready, there is always a place for you, right here. With us. Goodnight Grace.

Grace put her DDD back on the arm of the couch and sought the cold comfort of the pillow again. She hugged it tight against her body. While she felt both angry and sad, mostly she felt tired. Sometimes she felt like she was a pet toy, that was being used by multiple big dogs. Constantly being pulled in multiple directions. One of these days someone was going to pull too hard. The seams would rip and that would be it.

Grace closed her eyes and thought not about Belphie’s invitation, but what he had said before it. Did she feel the loss of her pact with Beel? Did her pact with Levi take its place or was there a hollow spot in her as well? She tried to calm herself to the point that she could lightly go into a trance and ignore the physical. When she managed it, she realized what metaphysical mess she was. It made sense, there as another pool of magic she could access and she was tied to an entirely different demon now.

Since she was going to have to let Levi inside her mind after classes, Grace decided it might be time to clean up a little first. She went to the room in her mind that symbolized her connection with the mystical. It was a disaster. Nothing was broken, but everything was scattered and out of place. Even more than the mess, Grace noticed the lack of Beel’s things in the room. It was to be expected but it still made her sad. 

In silence, she set things to rights. She herself didn’t understand what all the things in here meant. Grace had figured out, Beel’s stuff symbolized their pact. She suspected that different sets of clothes meant different spells since there were two new outfits scattered in the room. The closet was where she kept the things about herself she hated, the things she didn’t even want to see. As she made progress, Grace found some of Levi's possessions. A headset was tucked between the pillows of the bed, there was a third controller for the game system in a totally different colour, and there was now a fishbowl, goldfish included.

Grace sat on the bed, order somewhat restored. Since she was doing this, was there anything that could be done to make things easier tomorrow? How would they go about fixing her memories? After a little bit a thought, the perfect solution came to her. Lucifer had said something, what was it? Paper in coloured water? What about picturing the memories and dreams as photographs?

Grace nodded to herself and rose to her feet. She braced herself before opening the closet door. The handle was cold to the touch, so cold it hurt the skin. Once the door was open, she didn’t turn on the light, and focused only on the top shelf, picturing photo albums lining it. She grabbed the four newest ones, and one from much further back. Everything from the four months in Devildom and an early one for reference. Grace closed her eyes and backed out, slamming it shut. Something was jarred loose and when it hit the ground it sounded like a baby rattle.

No. That could stay in there, unless absolutely necessary. If she had to, Grace would show him everything in that closet, but only if she had to. Hopefully, it would not come to that. Grace set the photo albums on her desk and looked at the room once more. At least she wouldn’t be totally embarrassed to let Levi in tomorrow. She left the room and closed and locked the door behind her.

She reopened her eyes and blinked at the soft lighting of the physical realm. Now that she was done with that cleaning, she should be able to sleep. Grace tried to close her eyes and waited for sleep to claim her, but it would not come. 

Belphie was right, she did feel a lack of where Beel was. Not so much a hollow, but an awareness of where their pact had fit into her world. She could feel her pact with Levi, but it was different. She wondered it is was going to be weaker, because of how it was formed, or if it was just different because he was a different demon with his own unique energy. 

Eventually, Grace gave up and crawled out from the warm blankets. She just wanted to see him, to be near him and maybe silence the nagging worries in her mind. Her bare feet make no sound on the carpet as she approached the tub. Grace sat down and laid one of her arms on the smooth porcelain edge of the tub. She used it to cushion her head.

Grace was glad that he had told her not to worry. He looked so still, and the water was undisturbed. Levi almost looked at though he could be dead. It took a while for her to see the little movements, like the way his hair shifted slightly, or the tiniest flicker of his eyelashes.

Reassured that he was alive, Grace just watched him for a while and admired the way he looked. Levi was not as muscular as some of the others, but his body was well defined, and his horns were not the only thing to shimmer in these lights. The diamond shape patches of scales that were scattered along his neck and torso glittered in this light too. He was much more handsome than he gave himself credit for. 

Grace was particularly fond of his demon form. His horns were some of the most interesting to her. The way they framed his head they reminded her almost of a coronet made of coral. Though sometimes they looked black, the soft lighting was bringing out all sorts of shades of purple.

Right now, he was reminding her of Snow White. The water was so still that it could have been glass, and he was a prince trapped, forever preserved by foolish minions. Well, the only thing spoiling that fantasy was the fact he was wearing nothing more than a pair of swim trunks. That was not very regal

Grace frowned at the bruising on his body. He had only been her demon one day, and look at what that had cost him. She apologized softly and reached out to touch. Her instinct to soothe his pain made her momentarily forgetting about the water.

She pulled her hand back quickly before disturbing the smooth surface too much. Only a couple of ripples cascaded obscuring her view of him. The way the water moved was mesmerizing, and her hand hovered over the tub. She was tempted to do it again. Grace lightly tapped her index finger on its surface and watched the ripples bounced and rebound off the edge again. Grace looked over to his face, but it seemed to have not disturbed him. Good, he needed his rest.

Grace closed her eyes. She wished she could do more than hope he rested well and healed nicely. He was her demon now. Grace wanted him to be whole and healthy. 

As she drifted off to sleep once more her hand slid into the water. Levi’s tail slithered close and slid itself into her open hand. Both the sleeping demon and the sleeping human were unaware of the faint glow that happened when they touched.


	54. Leviathan's Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi wakes up and gets ready for the day.

Levi woke slowly. The water cradled and supported his body. It’s gentle touch soothed his skin, and he felt peaceful. The peace only lasted until he remembered why he was sleeping in water in the first place. His eyes flew open. Right, Grace was in the room and he should get up before she saw him sleeping like this. 

He sat up slowly and blinked. Levi realized that it was too late for that. Grace had definitely seen him sleeping. It must not have bothered her too much, since she was asleep, leaned against the bathtub. How could she sleep like that? It did not look at all comfortable.

The soft smile on her lips disputed that fact. Grace’s head was nestled on her left arm, and she looked as peaceful as he had felt before he opened his eyes. Her right hand had fallen into the water, the tips of her fingers were almost touching his tail. Levi swished it out of her reach. 

Yes, it might have been silly, but Levi had been worried. It had been a big day for Grace, and he had shown her a different side of himself, one that was very different from what she knew. A side of himself, that Levi barely recognized anymore. He had been afraid that once the adrenaline had passed and she had time to think that Grace might become afraid of him. 

He’d been so torn. He had wanted her here last night. In case she had nightmares and was scared. In case she was lonely and wanted to talk. But also, selfishly, he was afraid if he let her out of his sight she was going to come to her senses and regret the choice she’d made. Asking her to stay was just as intimidating because Levi had known with how badly bruised and battered he was that his best chance at healing well would be to rest in the element he was the closest to. But, doing that was just going to reinforce how other and monstrous he was.

Levi knew he wasn’t the only one who worried about scaring her with his demonic form. He had noticed ever since the attack, that most of his brother’s made an effort to maintain their human guises more often. They had all wanted her to feel safe in their presence and worried that their demonic traits might just be a reminder of the attack on her body.

He shook his head and stood up. She really was one of kind. Levi closed her eyes, focussed and made all the water on his body and in his hair flow back into the tub, and then sat on the edge, doing the same for his feet. Now that he was dry, he circled the bathtub and scooped Grace up from the floor, and set her back on the bed. He might need to go to breakfast, but she could sleep a little bit yet. Levi tucked the blankets back around her.

Grace stirred a little and mumbled something incoherent. Levi made a soothing noise and stroked her hair for a little while. She settled, rolled over and buried herself deeper in the blanket. He chuckled softly. It made him happy that she was this comfortable in his room. 

Reluctantly, Levi walked to his closet to get a uniform. He did a double-take when he saw his reflection in the mirror on the back of the door. Most of the bruising from yesterday was already gone. Levi carefully stretched, and other than a few aches, he felt fine. He shook his head at his reflection, it had been a long time since he’d been in a serious fight. Maybe he’d just forgotten sense of scale and imagined the injuries were worse than they were.

Without giving the matter another thought, Levi slipped on his uniform then took one more look at Grace before opening the door. He almost stepped on a tray that was sitting in the hall. There was a large muffin, a cup of yogurt and assorted fruit. Levi had been planning on bringing something up for her, but obviously, someone had beat him to it. Levi picked up the tray and looked to see if there was a note or anything. Nothing. He shrugged and brought it into the room, leaving it where Grace would find it. Levi wouldn’t claim the credit for it if Grace asked about the tray, but if she didn’t and assumed it was his handiwork, well then whoever made it should have left a note.

Levi hadn’t even made it all the way down the stairs when the sound of familiar raised voices reached him. 

“For the last time Belphie, I’m fine!” Beel yelled.

“You are not fine!” Belphie shouted back. “You need to rest and to heal!”

Levi entered the room, his feet started taking him to his normal seat. Then he noticed Belphie standing behind that chair. Belphie was in his demonic form and was looking not at all intimidated by Beel who was glaring down at him. Levi reversed direction and sat near Mammon, leaving Grace’s empty chair between them. 

As much as he hated to admit it, Belphie was right. Beel really did look like he should stay home today. There were dark circles under his eyes, and it was obvious in the way Beel held himself that his wings were causing him to suffer. It would best if Beel stayed in his natural state instead of his human guise, to heal.

Levi felt a momentary stab of guilt, knowing that it was his fault Beel was in pain. Then he shook his head and banished it, reaching across the table for the coffee. He had done only what he had needed to do in order to make the duel end. Beel would have done anything to protect what was his, and Levi had known it. Ending it as quickly as possible had been the best strategy, Levi just wished that he could have done it in a less brutal way.

Mammon grumbled what might have been a greeting, and snagged the coffee pot when Levi’s hand was just a finger length from it.

“What’s your problem?” Levi asked.

“You don’t even have a bed! Did ya make her sleep in the fuckin’ tub? The floor?!” Mammon asked, setting the coffee down entirely out of Levi’s reach.

Levi sighed and wondered what he’d have to do to get permission to skip this shit show every morning. It’s not like he ate much anyway. “It’s not any of your business how I take care of my mistress. You had a chance to be able to call her that but you didn’t want to have Beel’s pact with her.” Even after Grace trying to ease the tension between them, Levi wasn’t quite willing to let go of the ‘sloppy seconds’ comment. Levi felt any part of her soul was to be treasured no matter how it was obtained. “She slept on the pull-out.”

“Ya don’t have a pull-out!” Mammon protested.

“Not going to argue with you about what’s in my room,” Levi said with a shrug. “I guess that means you haven't stolen anything recently."

Asmo rose from his seat and brought the coffee. He poured a cup for Levi and commented. “He’s just upset because he went to go check on her and she wasn’t in her room. I think he might have had plans to comfort her last night.” Of course, Asmo had to make that last bit sound more sexual than needed.

“Not like that, you perv!” Mammon protested loudly. While he didn’t lower his volume, Mammon’s tone did soften as he continued. “Night before she had a nightmare about Beel eatin’ parts of her while she watched, and then yesterday he bit her.” Mammon shot a glare at Beel. “Thought that mighta made things worse.”

Belphie and Beel had halted in their argument and were now paying attention to the conversation on the other side of the table.

“She slept just fine in my room,” Levi stated. “No need for your comfort.”

“If you define fine as being awake for about an hour around three,” Belphie muttered taking his seat.

Levi glared at Belphie, who ignored the look entirely and pulled a platter of pancakes closer so Beel could help himself.

Lucifer entered the room, and without a word took his seat at the head of the table. Levi winced at the expression on his face. It would be a good day to stay out of the line of fire. Luckily, Belphie immediately drew the eldest’s attention. “Lucifer, tell Beel that he can’t go to school today!”

Lucifer arched an eyebrow at but the tone and wording of Belphie’s demand. Asmo took the coffee pot and silently went and filled up Lucifer’s mug, before silently sliding into his seat. 

“Beel? Your thoughts on the matter?” Lucifer asked. His hand found the cup and brought it up to his lips. 

“I’m fine,” Beel grunted.

“You smell wounded,” Satan said from the door. “You are not fine.” While he was not as obsessively well put together as Asmo on most days, Levi could see the Satan had gotten little rest and had hurried to be ready this morning. His uniform looked rumpled and his bow tie was just slightly off-balance. Asmo must have noticed the last part as well because he made a tisking noise.

“You are late,” Lucifer said in greeting.

“I was busy working on the research you asked of me,” Satan replied, pulling out his chair.

“Do you have results?”

“Nothing conclusive to report yet,” Satan looked as though he was going to yawn, but stifled it under Lucifer’s scrutiny.

“Perhaps if you had started your task when I had first asked you to do it, you might have something more substantive.”

Satan narrowed his eyes and looked as though he was about to make a clever but probably unwise retort. Asmo, however, spoke up. “Lucifer, I had a thought.”

“Asmo,” Lucifer followed saying his name with a tired sigh. “If it is about fashion, sex or music, it can wait.”

“It is about Grace,” Asmo clarified.

“Everything does seem to come back to her,” Lucifer sighed. “Speak.”

“Our darling was right about one thing yesterday,” Asmo started. “We have two separate battles we are fighting. Might I offer my services on the smaller front?”

Lucifer’s looked skeptical but arched an eyebrow indicating that he should continue. 

“Allow me to do what I do best-“

Mammon interrupted with, “I don’t think fuckin’ is gonna solve this problem.”

“Do not underestimate the power of sex done properly. Oh, you’ve probably never enjoyed doing it right, so you cannot even begin to imagine, brother mine, its true power.” Asmo smiled evilly at Mammon before returning his eyes to Lucifer. “However, in this case, I was talking about my other skills. Lucifer, let me handle the small scale problems. I can spin the ever-changing situation here to maintain the illusion of normalcy you insist we maintain. I know the right ears to whisper rumours in, how to tailor those rumours to their audience and keep as you asked, our problems behind these doors. To do it right I need autonomy, and the ability to be flexible. Do you trust me to take on this while you and Satan focus on the bigger picture and keeping Diavolo in the dark?”

“Are you suggesting I am not capable of handling this situation?” Lucifer questioned.

Levi looked down and was glad he was not on the receiving end of the look that was paired with that question. 

Asmo smiled and shook his head. “Nothing of the sort, I am suggesting that you are as fine a general as you ever were and would not waste a perfectly valuable resource. Of course, I would never step on your toes if you wished to handle it all yourself. I do have a massage scheduled after class and I’d much rather be doing that. Or rather him.”

Satan had a smirk, but Levi did his best to keep his face neutral. While Levi was sure that Asmo wasn’t lying about looking forward to a massage with a happy ending, he was also equally certain that Asmo would love to play spin doctor for this situation. Where Levi wanted as little to do with most people, Asmo loved all the intricacies of Diavolo’s school. It seemed far too exhausting to Levi. The games he played had very clear rules, where the ones Asmo excelled at were fluid and changeable. It was hard to tell when you won when it came to dealing with people.

“Whether you take me up on the offer, or not, here is some free advice. Beel and Mammon had a physical altercation last night, their second in less than a month. You tell Lord Diavolo that they are being punished in the dungeon for this second infraction for two days. That gives Beel time to heal, frees Mammon up for digging around on the Mortal Plane, and also means there are two fewer days Beel has to stick to the lie at the academy.”

Lucifer sipped his coffee and looked contemplative. Levi almost held his breath watching him out of the corner of his eye. This could go one of two ways. Lucifer could get angry at the perceived insult or he could see the value in it. Normally, Levi would bet on the second option, but Lucifer was already aggravated and in a poor mood, so he could get stubborn. 

They all watched while Lucifer took a second drink from his cup. When that was swallowed, he answered, “Yes, Asmo, I agree that you would be best suited to damage control. I am surprised that you are choosing to take the initiative.”

“Why? I will have to spend quite a bit of time this week with Grace. Especially since Beel and Mammon will be here and Levi should probably keep at the very least his normal distance from her as to not be suspicious. Sorry Levi,” Asmo apologized, while not sounding the least bit sorry. “If there is even a chance Solomon might pick up on the difference in her pact, having you too near might make it even more obvious.”

Levi forced a smile on his lips. No one at this table ever did anything out of the kindness of his heart. This was not a surprise, just a little annoyance. At least, he’d still have evenings to spend with his new mistress.“Thanks for caring, Asmo,” the sarcasm was evident in Levi’s tone.

“Anytime,” Asmo replied happily, choosing to ignore the tone.

Breakfast went relatively smoothly after that. Mammon bitched and complained the whole time, not happy with Asmo’s solution but unable to find an argument against it. Everyone else mostly ate in silence. Lucifer left the table first, followed by Satan. Asmo did stop Satan to fix the tie before he could leave the room. Asmo left shortly after to escort Grace to school.

“Belphie,” Levi called out. “I need you for a couple of minutes.”

Belphie just cocked an eyebrow and looked at him.

“I need you to tell me as much as you can about what you did to Grace. We are going to start working to undo it, and the more I know going in hopefully the easier it's going to be on her.”

Mammon had looked like he was going to leave the table, but shifted in his chair, making it clear that he wanted to hear this too. 

Belphie looked at Beel, who seemed to be still focussed on eating. “Sure, wanna go to your room to do it?”

“I wanna hear this,” Mammon said.

“Me too,” Beel mumbled. It was the first words he had uttered since answering Lucifer.

“Beel,” Belphie protested. “You don’t need to hear this. It’s just going to make you-“

“Angry? Sad?” Beel interrupted. “Disappointed? I’m already all those things. I need to hear it anyway and you need to tell me. Cause, I love you and am happy to have you back, but you did that to someone I care about. You need to own what that did to me. So, I’m going to clear off these plates and listen while you tell Levi what he needs to know to make it better. Cause he can’t make it right, just better.”

Belphie looked down at his own empty plate for a moment, then took a breath and begun detailing what he did. It wasn’t pretty, and it was hard to listen to. It was even harder to stop Mammon from assaulting Belphie, but Levi needed the youngest to be able to form coherent words. There would be time for payback later, once Grace was healed and they had deciphered Diavolo’s motives. Lots and lots of time.


	55. Unexpected Tea Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace gets called to Lord Diavolo's office

Lunchtime found Grace sitting on a blanket in the greenhouse. She had her potions textbook and workbook propped open in front of her. She and Darwin we going over the homework for today’s potions class. While she was sorry the Eldard was ill today, Grace was a little grateful to only have to focus Darwin. 

She was still feeling very tired today, though she chalked it up to trying to sort through the metaphysical changes she was dealing with. Grace yawned, then interrupted Darwin and asked him to explain the answer he’s chosen for the question they were covering. Grace made it a practice to never tell him the answer. In her experience, memorized facts were only good as trivia for party conversation, understanding the underlying theory was way more important.

Perhaps she should have chosen a different location. The warmth here was only making her sleepier. However, she really liked it here. It was so quiet, and there had been little quiet in her day so far. Instead of the gossip flowing around her, now some of the lower demons were brave enough to ask her directly, at least when the popular bitches weren’t around to watch.

That wasn’t a problem that had gone away. While they were too careful to harass Grace directly, that didn’t stop them from harassing demons who befriended Grace. That actually angered Grace more than if they were still picking on her. Kiva, Zara and Fri were all strong enough to take care of themselves and did their best to keep an eye on some of the others, but the petty bitches were persistent. Sometimes she wanted to go back to being invisible.

Then something good would happen. Like the way, Darwin smiled when that missing piece clicked into place and the question he was struggling with made sense. Or Grace would make a joke, and the girls would genuinely laugh with her, not at her. Tiny moments that made her feel connected, grounded and real. Moments that made her think of more than just surviving the next few days and maybe, just maybe, think about enjoying the next months.

Grace’s DDD rang out a warning, and she started to pack up her things. Darwin thanked her for her help with a smile, then asked “You gonna be online this weekend?”

“If I survive the dance, that all I plan on doing the next day. Pyjamas, snacks and hours of video game time. Belphie coming home this weekend really cramped my style,” Grace replied. 

“Not excited for the dance?” he asked.

“There are parts I’m looking forward to, like getting dressed up and actually dancing. Sadly, but the drama is just going to suck all the fun out of it.”

“At least you’ve got a date,” Darwin replied with a frown. “See ya in class. I gotta grab something from my locker.”

Grace smiled. She had a date. In the midst of all of the insanity, she’d almost forgotten that part. Of course, it wasn’t the date she’d started with but she was walking in with one of the hottest guys in school on her arm. 

She made her way into the classroom. Solomon looked up when she arrived, and it seemed like he was going to approach her. However, the teacher followed quickly on Grace’s heels, putting a stop to that. 

Potions class started off on the right foot. Darwin actually raised his hand to answer a question for once, and that made Grace feel like she’d won the lottery. Maybe her being here wasn’t a curse to everyone who knew her after all.

The practical brewing time however was not as much fun. She could hear Xantara talking trash at her station. The bitch was saying how bad she felt for Mammon being stuck taking Grace to the dance. Someone joked that they should make sure to burn all the photos so Mammon wouldn’t be reminded of that lapse in judgement a century from now. The very thought that these useless vapid bitches were still going to be around a century from now depressed her.

Grace made sure she was totally packed up and ready to go before the bell sounded. She didn’t want to risk talking to Solomon at the moment. He was one more unknown in the chaos of this situation. It was only delaying the inevitable. Grace wouldn’t be able to avoid him tomorrow. He would be at the club meeting, but hopefully, there would be so many demons in the room that their presence might muffle any sense he might get from her.

Since she had a few minutes to kill before class, Grace stopped at her locker. In the past, she rarely used it. It had been vandalized and broken into countless times in that first three months, that Grace had decided it was just easier to carry everything she needed on her. She wasn’t sure if it was the fact that Lord Diavolo was aware of what had happened or if her housemates had taken it upon themselves to educate some of their brethren, but her locker was now usually left alone. The worst was usually some nasty notes, and now was as good a time as any to dispose of the latest crop.

The stack was much smaller than normal, but a pristine envelope stood out from the folded scraps of paper bearing insults. Junking everything but the envelope, Grace closed the locker. She leaned against it and turned the missive over in her hands. The paper was thick and felt velvety under her fingertips. On the front, her name was written in an elegant script and the back had a seal in golden wax. She could feel a touch of magic emanating from the seal and it tasted like Celestial magic. Grace stared at it for a few minutes, wondering who might have sent it and why. The sound of the next warning bell, caused Grace to tuck in away in her bag. She would wait to open it until she had some privacy. It was obvious that whoever slipped it in her locker had intended it for her eyes only.

History class seemed like it was going to go according to plan, but five minutes into class there was a knock at the door. Barbatos walked in and addressed the instructor. “Pardon the intrusion, but Lord Diavolo requires a few minutes of Grace’s time. Would you be able to spare her?” Despite the cheerful smile on his lip, Grace felt a chill run along her spine.

The question was a formality only. There was no way that the instructor was going to deny the Prince of Hell’s request. Kiva looked across the room at Grace, her expression clearly reading ‘what the fuck” and Grace could only shrug in answer. She had no idea why she was being summoned.

As Grace opened her bag to put her class materials in, she took the opportunity to pull out and glance at her DDD. There were no missed messages. Lord Diavolo usually only communicated with Grace through Lucifer or with Lucifer present. Did this mean he was unaware of this meeting?

Grave forced herself to smile, despite how fishy the situation was. No heads up from Lucifer, coupled with the fact that she was being pulled from a class that she did not share with any of the Avatars. Her shoes sounded extremely loud clicking on the floor as she made her way to the door.

They stepped into the empty hall and the door closed behind them. “He is waiting for you in his office.” Barbatos led the way but matched his pace to hers so that he was always only one step ahead of Grace.

“Will I be late for PE?” Grace asked, her DDD still in hand. “Asmo will worry if I’m not on time.”

“I will ensure that you are on time,” Batbatos answered. “No need to get him in trouble by needlessly messaging him during class time.” While it was worded as a casual comment, Grace could hear it for the order it was.

To fill the silence, Grace took the time to once again thank him for being the driver the other night. ‘I hope it didn’t take you away from more important duties.”

“My duties are flexible. I serve in whatever capacity my lord desires. It was my pleasure to escort four beautiful ladies such as you and your friends.”

They had arrived. Barbatos opened the door for Grace and monitored her into the waiting room. Then he progressed further inward to knock upon the door to the inner office. “I have brought Grace as you requested, my lord.” Grace couldn’t hear the reply but there must have been one because Barbatos opened the door and bowed his head. “He will see you now.”

Grace slowly walked toward the inner office. The only other time she had seen these walls was the meeting after the Xantara incident. Grace winced, not at the memory of the fear and the pain. No, she winced because he remembered very clearly the insults she had heaped upon the soon to be ruler of Devildom. Great, this time she didn’t even have any demon back up. Since there was nothing she could do about that, Grace smiled, took a fortifying breath and stepped through the doorway.

Lord Diavolo was sitting behind his desk, wearing his trademark big friendly grin. He greeted her early and offered Grace a seat. She complied, again getting the sense that it wasn’t really a suggestion. Grace hated sitting in situations like this. Her gut told her that this was a dangerous situation, and if that was true, she’d rather be standing in order to more effectively flee if necessary. 

“Barbatos? Would you please make us some tea? And if there are any of those Siltarin Spider cookies left?” The Prince asked of his butler.

“I am certain that the last of those met their demise last night, but I am sure I can find something suitable.” Barbatos bowed and left.

Once the door closed, Grace couldn’t help but feel nervous. This was the first time that she had even been alone with Lord Diavolo. Despite her nerves, she kept her smile. There was nothing Grace could do about it now. She was here and might as well find out what he wanted. “Was there something urgent you required, my lord?”

“It has been a rather eventful few days, hasn’t it, my girl?” Diavolo commented. He wasn’t looking for the answer to the obvious, he continued without pause. “I feel as though I would be remiss in my duties as both your host and caretaker if I did not take the time to check in on you.”

“So much fuss over a dress,” Grace said with an exaggerated sigh. “While I look forward to seeing what Denetri and his family have designed, I’m not sure it will be worth Mammon and Beel coming to blows and both being in the dungeon for a couple of days.”

“Well, yes there is that, but I am more concerned about how you are handling Belphegor’s return.”

Sure he was… if that had been his entire motive for meeting with her, this conversation would have happened yesterday, not today. “Ah, Belphie, I have mixed feelings on that subject.”

“If you wish greater punishment for his trespass against you, you need only ask Grace. He assaulted you.” Lord Diavolo sounded completely serious. 

“As did Xantara, yet she spent a good portion of my potions class bragging about her dress and the custom jewels she commissioned for it. I am satisfied that Belphegor will make no further move against me. If there is more suffering to be heaped on him I’d rather it be by my hand,” Grace answered.

“Even knowing of his connection to his twin, Beel?” Diavolo asked. “Are you not worried that the demon you are bound to will have split loyalties?”

Semantics were a wonderful thing. “I have no doubt whatsoever that when and if needed the demon I am bound to would protect me, even against Belphegor. That if I needed to ask him to attack for me, he would.” Grace never used a name. She was sure Levi would do those things. Honestly, she was pretty sure Beel would have to, but it would have broken her heart to ask it of him.

Barbatos returned then, with a tray. There was a pause in the conversation, while both she and Diavolo enjoyed a few sips of the tea, and Grace had a bite of the cookies that had been served with it. 

“Grace,” Lord Diavolo said her name and set his teacup down on the saucer. There was not even a clink as he did so, that was how in control of his actions he could be. “Do you still feel safe living in the House of Lamentation?”

Grace bit her tongue. The biggest problem in that question was the word still. Did she still feel safe? The last conversation they had involved her telling him exactly how unsafe living there had felt. Oh, she would love to pull at that thread, but instead, she chose to answer the question as it was intended. “I feel it is the safest place for me in the Devildom.”

“Then why did one of my servants see you and Mammon at the Infernal Fire hotel on the weekend?” His voice was gentle as he asked the question. He picked up his teacup and took another sip. “You can trust me and tell me anything. Your well being is more important to me than you know.”

Grace blinked. This was going a direction she had not foreseen. She did not like that it felt like he was spying on her. This tidbit coupled with Lucifer’s suspicions was making her angry. If the Prince wanted to play games, she too had a few tricks up her sleeve. “I don’t see how it is any of your business who I sleep with or where I choose to do it.”

This time there was a clatter when he set the cup down. It was hard to hide the satisfaction she felt hearing that sound. He looked at her, “I was not aware that you were intimate with any of the brothers.”

Again, semantics. She did sleep with Mammon that night, and she did consider their emotional connection to be intimate. Probably not what Lord Diavolo was picturing but she had no control of where his mind went. “I repeat. It is not your business. Though I don’t know why you are surprised, you did suggest I make use of Beel in that capacity.” Grace said. 

“But Mammon?” Lord Diavolo looked slightly perplexed. “Asmo, I can picture. But Mammon?”

“Asmo did join us for room service in the morning,” Grace mentioned. “Does this squash any concerns about my feeling unsafe in my current home?”

“Yes, it does my heart good to hear you refer to it as home. I want you to feel at home in my realm.” 

Barbatos cleared his throat. “I did promise Grace that she would not be late for her next class.”

Lord Diavolo set down his cup once more. “I look forward to seeing you at the dance this weekend. Ensure you save one dance for me?”

Grace chucked. “If you insist, my lord. I will see you then.” She rose from her seat and bowed her head respectfully before turning to leave.

“One more thing,” Lord Diavolo called out. “It seems that one of the angels is interested in joining your club. I know that you have not spent much time with either of them and with Belphegor returning, if you feel that adding that dynamic to your life might be too much, I can deny his request.”

“Simeon or Luke?” Grace asked. She had obviously met them both at the various functions Lord Diavolo hosted for the exchange students, but they shared no classes with her. Simeon was what most girls would picture to be their Prince Charming, flattering yet sincere, with kind eyes and a gentle smile. Luke, on the other hand, was like the little brother that you would dote upon and spoil. He was a much younger angel, looking and often acting like a ten year old human.

“Luke,” Lord Diavolo answered. “I believe that the culinary aspect of your club interested him and that Simeon is pushing for him to interact more with his classmates.”

“Of course, Luke is welcome if he wants to join. He will have to abide by the same rules and standards as the rest, but that should go without saying.” Grace answered. Luke had some very firm ideas on angelic superiority, but until he stepped out of line, he would be welcome. 

“If you are sure…” The Prince let the sentence drag out for a moment, giving her time to change her mind.

Grace nodded. “I’m sure.”

“Alright, then enjoy the rest of your day.” 

Once the door to that inner study was closed, Grace’s heart started to pound. She did her best to keep her smile and make small talk with Barbatos as he escorted her to the changing room. She complimented him on the tea and noted how well the flavours in the cookie he had chosen paired with it. All the while she was starting to panic that she had somehow said the wrong thing. Hopefully nothing she said to the prince contradicted what he had already heard from Lucifer.

Time was not on her side. Grace swiftly changed her clothes and hurried to take her place in the bleachers. She plopped down next to him and leaned close. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes for a minute. The bell had not yet rung, this wouldn’t get her in trouble yet.

“Sweetheart?” Asmo asked, the surprise clear in his voice. “What happened?”

Grace lowered her voice to a whisper. If Asmo asked, that was why she was so close and leaning into his touch. It had nothing to do with the need for comfort. “I just got pulled into Lord Diavolo’s office. Lucifer was not there.”

“Oh, are you okay?” he asked softly.

“No. I’m not, I was okay until I left the room, but now it feel like my heart is going to shatter my ribcage,” Grace answered. “What if I contradicted something Lucifer told him? It’s not like I could say no and not go to his office.”

“Breathe, I’m sure you were fine,” Asmo replied. “I’m sure if you did slip up, it won’t be on anything major, and that we can blame it on the stress of the weekend.”

“Speaking of the weekend, I may have implied that you, Mammon and I had a threesome,” Grace said with a tiny laugh. The teacher entered the room and Grace reluctantly lifted her head from his shoulder. “But I guess we will have to talk about that part later.”

“Come on now, you can’t leave me in suspense, how was I?” Asmo asked, sliding a little bit away, but not so far that she still couldn’t heat his whisper clear as day.

Grace just winked at him, and ignored the question, turning her attention to the class.


	56. The File

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace, Levi and Satan finally get to go other the file.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Start of finding out why Grace is the way she is. Her past is not happy, and this isn't the worst of it. Talk of an underage pregnancy.

“That is enough!” Lucifer said firmly from the head of the table. “We have wasted more than enough time and energy discussing what was only an implied threesome. Grace’s ploy had the intended effect and you can squabble about the quality of the fictional encounter during your own time.”

“I’m sure I was better,” Mammon muttered, not willing to let it go.

“If you hadn’t been lacking I wouldn’t have been needed in the morning,” Asmo reiterated smugly.

“Do not make me repeat myself,” Lucifer warned.

Levi was glad that Lucifer was putting a stop to the conversation. It had been making him a little uncomfortable and from the look on Beel’s face, he wasn’t the only one feeling that way. Levi was still kinda shook that she would even say that kind of thing, let alone to Lord Diavolo. She didn’t talk about sex, and until the last three weeks, she barely let any of them even touch her, so for her to even imply that she was potentially screwing three members of the household, bothered him.

Grace wasn’t like the demonesses that openly lusted after them all. Yes, all, Levi had his own share of admirers, some because of his smarts and others because he was perceived as low hanging fruit. Grace was better than that. At least, he had thought she was better than that. Not that wanting sex was a bad thing…

Levi shook his head. He couldn’t sort through why this was bothering him as much as it was. A little voice in the back of his head suggested that he was bothered because his name wasn’t on the list of demons she had supposedly had sex with, but Levi refused to acknowledge that. No, that couldn’t be the problem. 

Discussion was starting to wrap up and supper was winding down. Lucifer had the foresight to set up daily grocery deliveries for the next couple of weeks, to facilitate both Beel’s increased appetite and the fact that Beel would be doing the cooking for the next few days. Beel was an amazing cook, he just went through three times more ingredients than necessary due to the constant snacking.

Levi was glad to see that Beel was looking much better than he had in the morning. The orange-haired giant was still in his demon form, but his colour was improved and each little movement no longer brought a pained reaction to his face. Belphie probably cheated and enforced some serious nap time. 

Grace touched Levi’s shoulder, “Done with your plate?” 

He nodded, and she gathered her, his and Mammon’s. She took them to the kitchen. Levi’s eyes followed her until the door swung shut behind her.

“Forget about it,” Mammon said quietly.

Levi had no idea what he was talking about. Forget about what? Grace? Mammon had some nerve and Levi was about to open his mouth to tell him so when Mammon continued.

“The friend zone thing. Forget about it,” Mammon repeated.

The look Levi gave Mammon was a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. Was that an apology? One he wasn’t forced to make? Who was this demon masquerading as his elder brother?

“The gears in yer head need oilin’, I could hear them grinding all supper. I know you and Grace are doin’ that thing tonight, and ya need to be at yer best for that. Don’t let somethin’ stupid I said when I was hurtin’ fuck with ya. She played the cards she was dealt when she was in the lord’s office. I’m sure it wasn’t a slight.” Mammon made a face, as though speaking real truth left a foul taste in his mouth. “I’m off to take a nap.” Mammon said loudly, getting up from the table. “Wake me once’s you’ve gone over shit with Grace, Satan. I’ll head up to the mortal realm then ta do yer snoopin’ for ya, and yes Beel, I’ll bring back cheeseburgers.”

Beel beamed at Mammon with unrestrained joy. 

Grace returned. Levi could see she looked nervous. Probably why she started to clear the table in the first place. Grace didn’t really want to see that file. Even more, Levi knew she didn’t want to start the process of undoing Belphie’s damage, which what was next on the list after going over that paperwork.

Despite all that, Levi watched Grace force a smile before asking Satan, “Can we get this over with?”

Satan agreed, dropping his napkin onto the empty plate before him. “I assume you are joining us, Levi?”

Levi nodded, getting up. He and Grace followed Satan up to his room.

How did Satan ever find anything in this mess? His brother claimed his books were precious and valuable but if that were true then how could he store them in such haphazard fashion? Some were on shelves, true, but some were piled precariously on his desk, and others yet stacked by his bed. He needed a bigger room, or more shelves, anything to keep this travesty from continuing. Levi shook his head with disappointment. Nothing he owned would be treated with such disrespect.

While Levi silently critiqued the state of Satan’s room, Grace made a bee-line straight for the window seat. “I haven’t seen you for days!”

Oh, there were cats. Levi was not a fan of cats. It wasn’t like he hated them or anything, but Levi just didn’t like them. Maybe it was his connection to the sea and the creatures that dwelled there. Or it could be that most cats he had met were self-entitled, shit-talking assholes. Either way, definitely not a fan.

Levi supposed he could make an exception for these cats though. Curled up where they could enjoy the breeze from the window were the cats Grace referred to as Player One and Player Two. He owed one of them big time, though Levi was smart enough not to admit that out loud. 

One of them answered her, and with Grace’s body blocking his view he could not tell which. “We were giving you a little space. The weekend has been trying.”

The other cat added, “But we do have a proposition for you Grace, but now is not the time to ask.”

The first cat spoke again as it stood and stretched. “It will annoy Lucifer. We think you will like it.”

“But the time is not right tonight,” the second cat continued, angling his head so Grace’s scratching fingers hit the right spot. “We will find you when it is.”

Both cats enjoyed a couple of minutes of pets and scratches before leaping silently off the window sill. They left the room without speaking another word. Grace sat down in their place and looked out the window. “Was it an accident that you got the room with the perfect reading nook?” she asked, obviously enjoying the cool air.

Satan crossed to his desk and picked up a folder. “I had no say in the arrangements, but Lucifer may have been considerate when he chose out rooms. Belphie does have direct access to the planetarium from his room, and Asmo does have the biggest and fanciest bathroom.” He held the file out to her silently.

Grace looked at the papers as though they were dangerous and he was offering her a live grenade. “Let’s see, what info Lucifer was given to make his decision with.”

Levi moved closer, torn about exactly how close he should get. On one hand, he was curious to see what was in that file because Lucifer had been the only one privileged with that information. On the other hand, Levi thought she might want space. Undecided, Levi hovered at a slightly awkward distance.

Grace’s eyes scanned the document in her hands. Levi had to stop himself from laughing because he could see that she had already figured a safe place to chew her lip that wouldn’t cause her pain. It shouldn’t be funny, but it was kinda cute how she shifted her bottom lip to worry at the corner of it, instead of worrying the centre like she normally did.

“Are they all this sparse? This impersonal? I’ve written resumes more detailed…” Her voice trailed off when she flipped to the second page. There was a pained look on her face.

No longer hesitant, Levi moved closer to try to read over her shoulder. He wanted to see what upset her so much. The bolded heading on the page read “Medical History”, but Levi’s view of the section was observed by her fingers. She had been trailing them down the page as she read.

She blinked a couple of times and then looked up at Satan. “There is nothing false in the document, but it is set up to be misleading. The places I lived, where I went to school, my job history, the times I was in the hospital, those things are all accurate, but the context is missing. If Lucifer was supposed to use this to choose someone who was a good fit psychologically for your program, he could not have done it with this. For example, no mention of me being an orphan. It just looks like my family moved around a lot.”

Levi blinked at that news. She was an orphan? He had not known that, but obviously Satan did because there was no look of surprise on his face. Why had Satan known that and not him?

“He didn’t look too hard at this, did he?” Grace asked, but her tone said that she knew the answer. “Even without context, there are enough clues to be found if you wanted to read between the lines.”

“No, I do not think he cared that much when Lord Diavolo thrust this choice on him.” Satan agreed. “No offence, it seemed at first like one of Lord Diavolo’s spur of the moment schemes. Lucifer probably just wanted to get it over with.”

“Your outlook was much different when you looked at this,” Grace stated.

“It was. You have always been so private. A chance to unravel a bit of the mystery? There was no chance I wouldn’t absorb every detail.” Satan answered.

“So you’ve put together the pieces, then?” Grace nodded sadly, then looked up at Satan. “Do you need to hear more, or is my acknowledgment that while incomplete, everything in that file is correct going yo be enough for what Lucifer asked you to do?“ Grace asked, her voice hesitant.

“I do have a question, and I would not ask it except that we will be specifically looking at your lineage,” Satan said.

She nodded in understanding and then turned her eyes up to Levi. “Sit with me?” Grace asked him in a small voice. Why did she look so scared? What could be so bad that she was so scared? Levi joined her on the window seat. Grace reached for his hand and gripped it tightly.

“Levi, Satan wants to ask me about an unplanned pregnancy I had when I was seventeen. I promise I will tell you everything you want to know about it, but right now I’m just going to answer his questions. Okay?”

Levi nodded automatically, but he was shocked, to say the least. She said he was the one who knew her best and he had no inkling that something like this was lurking in her past. He had so many questions. Where was the child now? Who was the father? But, he held them back and let her deal with Satan.

“Did the child survive?” Satan asked. 

Grace nodded. “Dylan. The name I gave him was Dylan. He was small. Underweight, they told me., but he lived. He was one week old the last time I saw him.” Grace didn’t seem to be aware of the tears that were sliding down her cheeks. Levi wanted to brush them away but didn’t know if drawing attention to them would be the right thing. “I wanted to keep him. I wanted to do better than the parents that gave me away. I wanted him to know that he was loved from the moment I saw him.” She looked down at her hand, the one held in Levi’s. She almost looked amazed that he was still holding it. “But, the adults around me never stopped. One reason after another why I couldn’t, shouldn’t keep him.” 

The emotion in her voice changed as she recited the litany of reasons that she had been given. “You are just a child yourself. You are unfit to care for him. You can’t take care of yourself. How will you take care of him? You are selfish if you keep him. If you really love him you should give him up. You know its better if he gets adopted as a baby. You know if you try and fail as a mother, he’d just going to end up in the system like you. Don’t you want the best life for him? Don’t you want him to have the chances you never had?” 

Levi was angry, and it took all his willpower to stay in his human guise. It was a struggle not to accidentally hurt the hand that she had entrusted to him. He looked up at Satan and could see the same rage swimming in his brother’s eyes, though his was much better controlled. Of course, Satan had put the information together last night and filled in the blanks. Satan had had the luxury of time to be able to school his reaction. The willpower it must have taken to have been sitting on this information all day, and not have it show. Levi applauded both his restraint and discretion. It must have been hard. 

“You had no one to support you?” Levi asked softly, even though he knew he was supposed to be listening not talking. “To stand with you? What about the father?”

Grace shook her head and looked ashamed.

“Is that why you told Asmo you didn’t want to be called part of our family?” Satan asked.

“I don’t deserve to be a part of your family. I know that. I feel that. I don’t have the right. You fought God for your family, and I couldn’t even tell social workers and nurses to fuck off,” Grace sobbed, no longer having even the semblance of control over her tears. “You would have died for your family, I caved in less than a week. No, it is literally an insult to what you have to give me that honour.”

A week. Alone and scared with no one to offer comfort. The only voices she heard were ones telling her that she wasn’t good enough. Grace blamed herself for losing a battle she hadn’t had the right tools to win. Blamed wasn’t even the right word, she loathed herself for failing that day. 

Levi’s remaining control crumbled, and he shifted forms. He quickly adjusted his grip on her hand, not wanting his claws to pierce her skin. It wasn’t her flesh they wanted to rend. Levi looked at the file, now lying forgotten on the floor. He wondered if there was enough information in there to track down the good Samaritans that handled her case. There were things he would like to say to them. Preferably, while they were feeling alone and scared. 

“Grace,” Satan said softly, “That is the difference. WE. WE fought God. We had each other. You were alone.”

Levi took his free hand and made Grace look at him. “You aren’t ever going to be alone again. Never.” The last word came out a little fiercer than he intended, and he tried to soften his tone. “Whatever you face we do it together from now on, right?”

She nodded but looked skeptical. That expression on her face wounded him. Why did she not believe him? Levi wished he knew what to say to make her look at him, confident in the belief that he would be there when she needed him.

“Grace, Mammon is going to be doing the leg work for me in the Mortal Realm. I want to know what happened to Dylan. Can I tell Mammon the truth or do you want me to keep him in the dark?” Satan asked.

Fear crept back on her face. Levi wrapped his tail around her waist. “No one is going to judge you for this. If they do, I will flay the skin from their bodies, brother or not.” Levi stroked a finger along her cheek. “The skeletons in your closet, as real and as painful as they are to you, are nothing compared to what we have hiding in ours. Mammon has tempted people so far into greed that they have literally starved themselves to death valuing gold over food. I use my sin to routinely cause wars that lead thousands to their deaths.”

Satan nodded at Levi’s words, throwing his support behind them. Then he smiled mischievously and added in a completely serious tone. “Giving birth to Dylan, it does not make you less, or weak or flawed just because he was unplanned. If you think it does then please, go tell Lucifer that he is less, weak and flawed for having created me. Because that was no more planned than what happened to you.” Grace gave a hysterical little bark on a laugh and Satan continued on deadpan. “Pretty sure he thought about giving me up too.”

“Pretty sure he still contemplates it daily,” Levi added, winking at Satan.

“There’s a reason I never give him a father’s day present,” Satan continued.

“That’s not funny!” Grace protested, in between fits of what was now uncontrollable laughter.

“They why are you laughing?” Levi asked.

“You are not helping!” Grace poked Levi in the chest.

She was smiling, so as far as Levi was concerned, yes he was helping. He took the opportunity to give her a proper hug. Levi glanced over at Satan and asked. “Is there anything else you need?”

“For what I need to do, I think I’ve got enough to start with, but I can’t promise that I won’t have other questions later. Unless the things I discover are pertinent to figuring out why you were in the pool of candidates, I promise I’ll talk to you Grace before telling anyone, including Lucifer. I cannot make that promise for anything Mammon uncovers.”

“Thank you, Satan,” Grace answered. “I appreciate it. I guess that means we are on to the next horribly invasive and exhausting task of the evening.”

“And here I thought you were just have implied sex with Asmo, Beel and Mammon,” Satan said teasingly. “That last statement definitely sounds like you were describing sex with Levi.”

Levi unwound his tail from around Grace’s waist and used it to throw a book at Satan. “Do you have to be an asshole?”

Grace squeezed Levi a little tighter before letting go of his hug. She got up and walked toward Satan. “It takes at least two people to have good sex, Satan. If that’s how you describe sex with Levi, are you sure he’s the problem?”

Levi grinned. More than the words she was speaking in his defence, it was the tone in her voice that made him happy. Grace sounded like herself when teased Satan back.

“I think I’m going to take a shower. I need to relax before I do anything else tonight. Levi, would you mind making me some mint tea and meeting me in my room in fifteen? Still can’t trust myself to do that.”

“Sure,” Levi agreed. 

“Thank you,” Grace said. “Thank both of you.” For a moment it looked like she wanted to say more, but shrugged and then left the room.

“We are going to find Dylan, right?” Levi asked, looking at Satan.

Satan gave him an insulted look. “If she wants her child, nothing will stand between her and her son. Not heaven, not hell, and certainly not the humans currently raising him. For now, I just want to find him and make sure he is safe. When she is in a more stable, centred place we can ask her what she wants.”

Levi glared at the crumpled file folder on the ground. “A part of me wants to know what else you found in there, but a part of me knows it's better coming from her.”

Satan nodded. ‘The knowledge is a double-edged sword and I wish I’d had the leisure to wait for her to trust me. But, I understand her better from both reading what was on the page, and what was in between the lines Especially, her fierce determination to be self-sufficient. The mortal realm had only shown her that literally, everyone will fail her. We must do better.”

Levi heard the implied threat in his tone but chose to ignore it. “We will do better,” Levi replied firmly as he headed toward the door. “Now, I’ve got tea to make. Good luck managing Mammon.”

“Thank you, I think I’m going to need it,” Satan answered. 


	57. Memory Lane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Grace start to undo the damage Belphie has done

Grace was finished with her shower, and sitting on the bed. She worked the tangles out of her damp hair with a wide-tooth comb and waited for Levi. She didn’t have to wait long. He tapped softly on the door frame and Grace called for him to enter.

He brought her the cup of tea, and she accepted it with a grateful smile. She scrutinized his expression, looking for a sign that what he had just heard, just discovered had changed how he saw her. Grace wondered if his smile was just a little forced, or if his eyes moved away from hers quicker than normal. She closed her eyes and sipped her tea and tried to ignore the paranoia. 

Levi sat down on her desk chair. “You sure you wanna do this tonight? One more night won’t make that much of a difference. How about we spend a few hours killing things?”

It was tempting, oh so tempting, but she shook her head at the offer. “No, I’ve delayed this long enough. I don’t want the things Belphie implanted to get too hard to tell from the originals.”

“Well, I do have some good news. It might not be as hard as Lucifer thought. When Lucifer brought it up, he had no reason to suspect that we would have access to a willing Belphie. I had a long talk with my youngest brother this morning. I’ve got a pretty good idea of where to start and what we need to look for. Not saying it's gonna be a cakewalk, but we aren’t tackling god mode with the mystic cheese armour set either.” Levi said with a hopeful smile.

“I still don’t have that achievement,” Grace muttered in an annoyed voice.

Levi smirked at her. “Right, how could I have forgotten that?”

His faked innocence made Grace smile. Grace took another couple of sips of tea, then asked, “Are you more comfortable on the chair, or do you want to join me on the bed?”

“Chair, I think,” Levi answered.

Grace nodded. Once her tea was finished, she set the empty cup down on the desk. “Better pull it closer to the bed then, we will need to be touching to do this, I think.”

As he scooted the chair closer, Grace rearranged her pillows. She settled herself cross-legged and reached both her hands out to him.

“How do you still have that many in here?” Levi asked, glancing at her pillows as he gently took her hands in his. “You’ve got a half dozen still taking up space in my room.”

“Do we really want to start talking about pillows, Levi? Because I have more than a few things I can say about yours.” 

“Question withdrawn,” he replied with a smile.

Levi closed his eyes and Grace followed suit. It took her a few minutes to calm herself and gain control of her breathing. The soothing tea and relaxing shower had helped, but Grace was still feeling a little overwhelmed by the conversion in Satan’s room. Not to mention nervous about letting Levi past the walls she put up. It took time, but she was able to put herself in a relaxed enough state to enter that place in her mind.

The room was how she had left it, and that was a good thing. Grace unlocked the door and awaited Levi’s knock. She paced a little as she waited, tugging at the long sleeve shirt she wore. When the knock came and she opened the door, Grace was surprised to see that Levi was in his demonic form.

“I thought since you had to be vulnerable and exposed, I should be too,” Levi said. “This is the real me. Who and what I really am.” 

Grace tilted her head and had to acknowledge a certain truth to that. When he chose to wear this form, he spoke with greater maturity and stood with more confidence. He held his head higher and was more likely to meet people's eyes. Grace respected that he was choosing to discard some of his masks to try to meet her on even ground in a situation that he knew made her feel exposed.

Levi looked Grace up and down, taking in the differences between the physical Grace and the mental image she had of herself. “But, maybe I misunderstood the dress code, cause that is not what you look like.”

Grace shrugged, not able to argue with him. There was no mirror in this room, and Grace was sure that was no accident. “Maybe this is what I really am without the rose coloured glasses you see me with. Or maybe, I’m just ugly on the inside.”

Levi shook his head vehemently. “Nope, I refuse to believe that.”

“Don’t think this is an argument that you are going to win, not when I’ve got the terrain advantage,” Grace answered.

“I’m an Admiral. I rarely lose battles and have never lost a war,” Levi said confidently.

That confidence made her smile, but she cleared her throat. “Fall from heaven?” she asked.

“I wasn’t in command,” Levi asserted, stepping further into the room and looking it over. His eyes lit up when he spotted the fishbowl on her desk. “Hey, Henry’s here!” Levi exclaimed happily, changing the subject. “Can I feed him?”

“He’s your fish, go ahead,” Grace said with a shrug. 

He unscrewed the lid on the fish food and gently tapped some flakes into the bowl. The imaginary construct of a goldfish eagerly swam to the top of the bowl to eat. “Have you thought of what oath you want to bind me with?”

Grace nodded. She had thought about it. Yes, there were things, many things in here that she did not want to make common knowledge, but events outside this space were moving at a fast pace. If something Levi learned here would help with the big picture, Grace wanted him to be able to use it. “Not an oath. I will not use our pact to compel you. I’m going to trust you. Anything I say here stays between us. Anything you see or learn here stay between us. The only exception is if you need to use that information for my sake, or not sharing it would with the others puts us all in danger.”

Levi turned from looking at the happily bobbing fish, his eyes full of surprise. “You really trust me that much?”

“Are you telling me I shouldn’t?” Grace asked. Had she made a mistake?

“No! It’s just when I said to you that whatever you face we do it together, you looked at me like you didn’t believe me. That you didn't trust me to keep my word, to honour our pact.” 

Grace sat down at the end of the bed. “I don’t have faith that anyone will be there when I need them.”

“We have a pact!” Levi reiterated. “That’s one of the main points of having a pact. Literally, I can be there any time you need me.”

“And I had a pact with Beel, and now I don’t,” Grace argued looking down. “Life is cruel and fucks up the best-laid plans. I believe that you mean it when you say it. I believe your intentions are true. Can that be enough?”

Levi was quiet for a moment. Grace had a hard time reading his expressions when he was in this form. While the tail was sometimes a useful indicator, tonight it wasn’t telegraphing anything, just swishing in lazy circles. “I think that’s a half-truth. I think that maybe you don’t believe that you deserve to have anyone in your corner. Am I wrong?”

Grace blinked at him but didn’t answer. He was right, and she wasn’t going to admit it.

“My sin is envy, Grace,” Levi said, there was no trace of her playful raid partner in his voice. Levi sounded older, his voice weary. “Envy isn’t just about wanting things that other people have. That’s a manifestation of it. That’s the easy part to see. But the root of my sin lies deeper.”

“From the day I became a demon, I have felt a bone-deep sense that I am not good enough. I want the things that others have, not just they have them but because I fear that I’m not good enough to earn them. To deserve them.” His smile took on a dark quality. “If I can’t have those things I don’t want others to have them either.” 

He shook his head, pausing to sort his feelings into words. “The things I do have, I hoard, because I’m sure someone stronger than me will try to claim them. The relationships I have, I’m possessive over, because I am certain that people I love will see how unless I am and leave me. That’s why I have few friends outside of my siblings. That’s why I have taken few lovers.”

Grace said his name softly and Levi held up his hand. “I’m not looking for your pity. I am what I am. I’m telling you this because I’m sure that you feel like no one will ever understand you, because alone at night I, too, feel that way. You feel like you are alone, and that you deserve to be alone. Those same doubts haunt me.”

She didn’t know what to say. There had never been such honesty between them. It was one thing to sense and suspect that he felt those doubts, another thing entirely to hear them admitted to freely. Grace had to blink back tears. The silence dragged, but finally, she managed to say something. “You are good enough.” Her tone was firm, and it was clear she was not going be argued with. “That’s why I chose you.”

“You are good enough,” Levi echoed his voice equally as adamant. “That’s why I said yes. Nothing in that ominous closet is going to change that.”

Grace rose to her feet and linked her arms behind his neck, pulling him into a hug. “Tell me to let go and I will.”

“In this place, I’ll never tell you to let go.” His voice was soft, and Levi tugged her a little tighter to his body.

She closed her eyes and wished they could just pause this moment. She just wanted to stay like this, held tightly to his body, her head resting on his chest. His flesh was cool to the touch, and his scent reminded her of sea air. There was a sense of peace that Grace was going to cling and she had no intention of being the first to let go.

Minutes passed, and neither relinquished the embrace. “We should do what we came here to do,” Levi said reluctantly, yet he made no move to change anything.

“We should,” Grace agreed.

“You aren’t moving,” Levi accused.

“Neither are you,” Grace pointed out.

“We could continue this later,” he offered.

“You don’t cuddle,” Grace answered. “Don’t wanna risk it. You might change your mind.”

“So, you are just going to keep me trapped in your arms?” Levi asked.

“You could let go first,” Grace offered.

“You’re going to make me do it?” Levi’s question was answered with silence. “Fine,” he grumbled, “I’m only doing this for your own good.” He reluctantly loosened his grip on her. Once he made that first move, she unlaced her fingers and removed her arms from around his neck. “See what a good demon I can be. Looking out for your best interests.”

Grace stepped away from his body and laid a hand on the stack of photo albums on the desk. “Where do we start?”

“Belphie said that he touched nothing before you made the pact with Beel. That he was stopped before he had a chance. He also said we should start with any duplicate memories that are primarily of Beel. You were very resistant to him messing with those, so we should be able to spot the differences easier with those. Once we get a feel for what the false ones look like, the rest should go smoother.”

Grace picked up the most recent album. “I still don’t trust him, but I think he needs this to be fixed almost as much as I do.”

“Beel loves Belphie and accepts him, but you are right, while this still threatens you, it screws with his dynamic with his twin. Beel insisted on being there while I talked with Belphie.”

Grace closed her eyes. She wished she knew what to do about Beel. Was there any way to make this better? Any way she could soothe his pain?

She missed him. His playful grin when he got his way, the cute yet annoying way he was so tall he could rest his head on top of hers, and the sound of his heart when she used his chest as a pillow. She missed telling him the good parts of the day, and the way his eyes would light up when he saw her. Right now, Beel winced when their eyes met, and he looked away.

There was a light touch on her cheek. She opened her eyes to see Levi staring at her, and his thumb slid along her cheek for a second time. “That’s not all on you. Beel will heal and get better.”

Grace nodded, only because she didn’t want to lie with words. She wasn’t sure how it was going to get better when Beel wouldn’t even look at her. 

Levi arched an eyebrow at her, but let the matter drop. Instead, he looked at the object in her hand, “A photo album?” He chuckled. “Clever.”

“It’s only clever if it works.” Grace sat down on the bed and patted the spot beside her. “Let’s take a trip down memory lane, I guess.”

Levi sank into place, sitting close enough to that their thighs were touching. She opened the album so it was lying across both of their laps. “The first few days after the pact he had just tried to fill what little sleep you had with contestant nightmares. He said there were two or three nights before he changed tactics and started manipulating you.”

Grace flipped through the pages, glancing at the images. Though many images caused her pain, there were more in that first week after the pact that brought a smile to her face. Movie night for example. Without thinking about it, Grace lightly touched the photo, and it sprang to life. She could hear the movie, see the concentration on Beel's face as he applied the toenail polish with tiny minute strokes. Grace could feel the way Asmo would tease the bottom of her foot with a finger, and smell the popcorn in the air. She could feel the emotions of that moment, as vivid as she had the day it happened. 

She pulled her hand back. That was not what she was expecting to happen. Grace glanced over to Levi, and his cheeks were coloured with embarrassment. “I think I might need to change my mind about an oath enforced by our pact. Did you just feel all of that too?”

Levi nodded. 

Grace wanted to close the book and throw it across the room. Him being able to see the memories, that she had been prepared for. Levi getting an inside window into how she was feeling? That was an entirely different thing. 

“Grace? What are you thinking?” Levi asked, leaning over to look at her face.

“I’m not ready for that. I don’t know if I can do this. Maybe I could do this on my own. I mean you’ve given me a place to start, right?” Grace was speaking quickly, a sense of panic building. “I could do this. I’m sure the photos will look faded or something.”

“Stop,” Levi said firmly. “Take a minute. Breathe.” Levi slid a hand up along her back and started to rub it gently. “One breath at a time, kay?” After she’d taken a half dozen breaths Levi started to tell her a ridiculous story about one of his anime’s she had yet to see. Something about a monkey that wanted to be a man so he bought a top hat and applied for a job and somehow became CEO of a company that ended up being the reason that bananas became extinct.

“I call bullshit,” Grace said when he was done. “You made all of that up.”

Levi smirked at her. “Feeling a little better?”

Grace nodded.

“We’ve got this, Grace. If you need to compel me to feel safe, do it, but please do not try to do this alone.”

“Even if I asked you not to speak of it, you’d still have to feel it. I can barely handle what I feel, how can I ask you to experience that. You just told me about your struggles, do you really want to feel what I felt interacting with your family?” Grace shook her head. “I think that is too much to ask.”

“Let’s find that first one, and try. If it is too much for either of us, we stop and come up with another plan. Okay?” Levi sounded so calm and so sure. The hand on her back did not falter and just kept rubbing gentle little circles.

Grace wasn’t feeling as confident as he sounded but was willing to give it a try. She hesitantly touched the corner of the page and flipped it. Grace was very careful not to allow her fingers to go anywhere near the photos. A couple pages later she found a page that had two of the same photo. 

“That’s reassuring, if they all present like this, we won’t have to go through all of the three weeks memory by memory,” Levi said. “We will just need to hunt for the duplicates.”

Grace nodded numbly. Looking at the pictures side by side, right now she couldn’t see a difference. They looked the same to her. “Can you see a difference?” Grace asked hopefully.

“Yes, I can,” Levi answered. Grace sighed with relief. “So we just need to look at there, and you should be able to tell which one is real based on how Beel feels to you in it.”

Grace bit her lip and steeled herself. She looked at Levi and offered, “Last chance to back out.”

“Not going anywhere,” Levi answered. He shifted his hand from rubbing her back to her waist, tugging her closer. “Told you. I have your back. That counts for in here as well as out there.”

Her fingers trembled a little as she reached for the page. She could do this.

The memory wasn’t anything extraordinary. In fact, it was quite the opposite, it was so very mundane. Grace guessed that was the point. Destroy the foundation of the relationships, muddy the waters about the most commonplace things.

In this memory, she and Beel were doing dishes and talking about the day. The actions were the same in both versions, as were the words that were spoken. What Belphie had changed was the tone Beel used and Beel’s body language. In one version, Grace’s happy chatter was met with an amused, almost indulgent smile. Beel hadn’t been answering with words, but with random sounds to show he was listening. In the other version, Beel seems impatient and occasionally rolled his eyes. The sounds he made were dismissive, implying he could not wait for the conversation to be over because what she said was trivial and did not matter.

After reliving both, she looked up at Levi. “I know which one is wrong, but they feel the same to me. They both feel real.” Grace balled her hands into fists. She was angry again. No, not angry, furious. “It is not fucking fair. He did this to me and I can’t do anything to him! I want to hurt him, but Beel is always going to be caught in the crossfire. Asshole has the perfect cover to hide behind.”

“Come on, you know better than that. No cover is perfect. No armour impenetrable. Belphegor has weaknesses. You are just looking at this the wrong way.” Levi replied. “You can get to him, but it's not going to be with these. Time to reload the save file and change your tactics.” 

Levi used his free hand to pick up one of her fists. “Look at me. We talked about my sin, right? Belphie is not free from it. You wanna get him where it hurts? Here is my advice.” Grace could not look away from his eyes. There was a malicious twinkle to them that promised evil. It should have been intimidating, but it was magnetic. 

Levi uncurled one of her fingers, running his thumb along its length as he smoothed it straight. “Ignore him. Give him no attention.” He uncurled the next with equal care and precision. “Don’t touch him. At all, ever. Not even to hurt him.” The third finger was straightened, and Levi ran his index finger along the back of it. “Only speak to him if absolutely necessary. I mean it. No random insults, cause he will take all the attention he can get. Only the words necessary out of politeness.” Levi uncurled the last finger. “He wants you. He wants to be a part of what you and Beel have, but his sin is sloth. He will try to take the path of least resistance. He will use Beel, but don’t let him get away with that. Make him have to work for every word, every second of your attention. That’s how you will hurt him.”

“Damn Levi, that’s-“

“Evil?” Levi said with a smirk. “Well yes, but you did want to know how to hurt him. You don’t have to take my advice. I have to admit I hope you do though. I want to watch him suffer.” He turned his attention back to the book in front of them. “Now, back to this.”

Grace looked down embarrassed. She had gotten so lost in the picture of revenge that he had painted with his words, that she had momentarily forgotten what they were doing. They had to get rid of one of the two pictures, but when she touched the images they reacted. “I think this is why you have to be here. I think you have to do it.” Grace finally said. 

“You sure?” Levi asked.

Grace nodded. She pointed at the one that both she and Levi agreed was false. “Try to pick it up.”

Levi let go of her hand and touched the photo. It did not react to his touch the way it did to hers and Levi was able to lift it from the album. He held it carefully between his thumb and his index finger. 

“Destroy it, Levi,” Grace instructed. 

“You sure?” he repeated. Levi looked at her with concerned eyes. 

“Yes, I can’t do it. You have to.” Grace swallowed. “I trust you. Do it.”

Levi let go of her body, needing both hands to accomplish what she asked. Grace immediately missed the security and safety she had felt with it there. She didn’t have to miss it for long, as his tail took the arm’s place. “Your tail is certainly good for a lot of things,” Grace said with a little chuckle.

“Yes,” Levi agreed. “It’s very capable.”

Levi, now with two hands free, gripped the photo, ready to rip it in two. “You ready?”

“As ready as I’m going to be,” Grace answered.

In a smooth swift motion, he destroyed it. It hurt, but Grace had expected that it would. She winced at the sharp pain behind her eyes and the dull ache that remind when that pain had passed. When she opened her eyes, she could see Levi staring at her with a worried expression. “I’m okay, it hurt but I’m okay.”

“You okay to continue?” Levi asked.

“I was about to ask you the same,” Grace replied with a tired smile. “I’m good, well, I’m okay to keep going.”

Levi squeezed her tightly to his side and looked down at the book again. Grace did her best to choose a few memories that didn’t seem to have as deep emotional attachment as others to use to establish a baseline, and once Levi was sure that he could consistently differentiate the real from the fake, they stopped reviewing them entirely.

They were able to eliminate about a dozen of the duplicates before Grace had to call it quits. Each successive implanted memory just added to the ache with soon became pain and eventually edged into the zone of totally unbearable. Grace didn’t want to quit now that they were making headway, but she knew that she still had to be functional in the morning. 

She started to close the book, then had an idea. Levi was being so good, so helpful and she knew that this had to be hard for him too. Feeling what she felt for Beel or any of the others, measuring it against what he thought she felt for him. That had to hurt, had to prick at his insecurities. She could not erase what he had seen, but there was something she could do for him.

There was something she could give to him, something that would quell any remaining doubts that lingered in his mind about her choosing him. The ones he might not acknowledge aloud, but would still be there, whispering in his ear in the darkness when he could not sleep.

“Levi, thank you for helping me. Thank you for saying yes, and being my champion.” Grace said as she flipped through the book. She found the page that had her memories of Lucifer’s study. The day Lucifer brought up the concept of her making a second pact. “Thank you for being there for me. For being there for every iteration of me that you have met.”

Grace reached for his hand and brought the memory to life. Now, he couldn’t deny it. The only reason she had doubted choosing him had nothing to do with him being weaker or lesser. She had doubted choosing him because she had feared he would not want that close of a connection.

When the memory faded, Grace looked up at him. “No more doubts. Not on that front. Ever.” Her voice was firm. “You literally know exactly how I felt about it.”

Levi’s eyes were intense when he looked at her. Grace could not read them at all. The silence stretched on, and she didn’t know if she should break it or not. She looked down, not able to handle it anymore, and closed the book. Grace tried to get up but Levi’s tail held her firmly in place.

“Grace,” he whispered her name. It was a tone so different from the one he usually used. There was no amusement at her gaming antics, no exasperation at her teasing. “Thank you. I know what that gift cost you. You’ve had your mind invaded and tampered with. You’ve been forced to open some of your most private, personal emotions to me, and yet you still chose to share that one, for no other reason than to bring me peace.” He brushed a wayward strand of hair off of her face. “Do you have any idea how damn amazing you are? No, that’s a dumb question. You have no idea. You can’t see it at all.” 

Grace tried to look down and away, but he cupped her cheek in his hand forcing her eyes gently back upward to meet his own. “We see it. Beel, Mammon, Satan and I, we see it. It might take all four of us, but someday I swear you are going to see it too.”

“Levi, stop. Please, just stop,” Grace pleaded. She reached up and pulled his hand away from her face. The kind words were harder to bear than the pain she was feeling. She felt like a hoax like she had somehow manipulated him to say those things or feel that way. It couldn’t be real. Grace wasn’t able to accept that as real.

His tail loosened his hold, and Grace eagerly took the opportunity to stand and put space between them. She kept her back to Levi as she very precisely set the photo album down on her desk. Grace heard him rise from the bed. “Ooh, I haven’t played Queen of Destiny III in ages. And you have the original release. I liked the cover art on it better than the rerelease.

Grace silently thanked him for the change of subject. “It was the first game I’d ever managed to get one hundred percent completion on. Of course, completing it with the hidden corgi character was a nightmare. I mean he couldn’t climb ladders so you had to do so insane platforming with shitty controls.” Grace paused and thought about the hours she spent fighting for that last achievement. “Wow, did I have way too much time on my hands back then. Damn, I wish I had that problem now.”

“What is on your very full plate tomorrow?” Levi asked.

“School, then club meeting at the house. Not only do I need to try to avoid Solomon, but now Luke has signed up. Oh fuck, how am I going to keep Mammon and Luke from derailing the whole thing?” Grace shook her head. “I’ll figure something out. Then I guess more of this if you are up for it.”

“If you are, then I am,” he answered.

“I need this done, every night, as much as I can bear until it is done,” Grace said firmly. “Now, we both need actual sleep, so get out and I’ll see you on the other side.”

Levi sighed. “If you insist… see you on the other side.” 

He left the room without making any further complaint and Grace locked the door behind him. She took one last look around the room. Somehow that had gone both better and worse than she had expected. The important thing was that progress was made. Grace sat down on the bed, entered herself and reopened her eyes in the physical. 

Levi had released her hands. He had stood up and was stretching. “Crashing with me tonight?” he asked casually.

Grace slowly shifted. Her body felt stiff from sitting in the same position for so long. “Yeah, I think so. I’ll be along in a bit. I’ve got something I have to take care of first.”

Levi arched an eyebrow, his eyes curious.

“You did give me a piece of advice that I think I’m going to take it. See you soon.”

Grace left the room first and the sound of Levi’s chuckle followed her. She walked with confidence to Beel’s room. She supposed she should start thinking of it as the Twin’s room now, but that felt wrong to her even knowing it to be the truth. Grace knocked on the door.

Belphie opened it looking annoyed, though the annoyance melted away seeing that it was her. “Good evening, Grace,” he said with a grin. “Care to join us?”

“Beel?” she called into the open room, ignoring that Belphie spoke to her at all. “I came to say goodnight.”

He didn’t answer her. So, she slipped past Belphie and walked into the room. Belphie said her name, in an irritated tone, and followed on her heels. 

Beel was standing, wearing nothing but his favourite boxers. Grace had known he would still be in his natural demon form, but the sight of it still surprised her. It was breathtaking. The insect wings that should have looked too delicate for his muscular form seemed totally natural in the way they emerged from his back. Unfortunately, the back was all she could see since Beel stubbornly would not turn to face her.

“Listen, big guy, I’m here to say good night, and I’m here to give you a hug. You don’t have to say it back. You don’t have to hug me back. But, I’m not going to let you think I stop caring just because of what happened with our pact. I am going to do this every damn night, so get used to it. I said I would fight for us, and I meant it.”

He was silent, Belphie was not. “I’ll give you a hug, hell I’ll give you a goodnight kiss if you want.”

Grace fought the urge to flip Belphie the finger. As Levi had suggested, no attention, good or bad.

She wrapped her arms around Beel, careful of his wings. They looked better but there were still areas that were taped. Grace closed her eyes and laid her head on his back. “Goodnight Beel. I miss you.” She waited, hoping he would say it back, but his only answer was silence. Grace gently squeezed him once before releasing her hold. “See you tomorrow.”

Belphie stood, his arms open and his expression hopeful. “Where’s mine?”

Grace rolled her eyes and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.


	58. Another Day, Another Breakfast Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer gets updates from his brothers and adapts assignments.

Lucifer set the tray down outside of Leviathan’s door and returned to his study. Beel would be awake soon to make the morning meal, and Lucifer did not want to run into him in the hallway. 

He settled himself behind his desk and worked his way through the pile of paperwork that never seemed to end. Among his duties as Lord Diavolo’s right-hand demon, he was in charge of overseeing punishments of infractions against the school's charter and the administrative end of the school’s clubs. In addition, though the school year was not yet even half over, Lucifer involved in the process of weeding through the applications of demons interested in attending the next cycle.

In the early years, Lord Diavolo just decreed who would attend, because no one wanted to go to school. They thought it was a foolish whim of the prince’s and a waste of their time. Demons had been punishing and tempting humans for the entirety of history, what need did they have of schooling now? Their skills had been either earned the hard way with trial and error or drilled into them by a mentor or parent. It was seen as a bother, an inconvenience to be chosen to attend. A trial to be endured because it pleased Lord Diavolo and displeasing him was suicide.

After the first two decades had passed, it became apparent that those that graduated through the academy were excelling. They claimed more souls, had better working relationships with demons of differing core sins and enjoyed the perks those successes had earned them. To attend RAD had become an honour, something to cherish and more, something to fight for. Often several candidates met their demise before the first day of the new semester, having to be replaced with names from the waitlist. 

Lucifer looked at the stack of applications piled on his desk. He now wondered if he looked hard enough, what patterns he would find hidden in the mundane facts and statistics on these pages. Were all the things that appeared on the surface to be nothing more than whims to entertain their Lord means to a greater end? Lucifer did not know but suspected the answer was yes.

He had accomplished very little by the time breakfast would be ready. Lucifer was too distracted by the events of the weekend. It was taking much of his focus to keep juggling everything and not let any detail slip. It would be easier to make a plan of action once Satan was done his investigation. Lucifer needed facts not suspicions if he wanted to succeed and protecting his family.

Lucifer left his office, and by design was the last to arrive in the dining room. It was always best to give them time to gossip among themselves, he’d found. Lucifer took his seat and cast his eyes around the table looking at his siblings. 

Satan looked exhausted. Lucifer doubted if he had slept more than a handful of hours in the last two days. Yesterday, he had looked dishevelled, but today it was much more pronounced. They would need to ensure that Satan took a moment to look more put together before walking out the door.

Beel actually had a hint of a smile this morning and seemed to be more contented. He was healed to the point that not of the cuts remained, and only one wing was still taped. Spending today in his natural state should remedy that. On the other hand, Belphie seemed to be in a foul mood. As he served himself, he would put the cutlery back on the platter with a loud clatter.

Levi was different today as well. He seemed more settled. He was eating toast and playing something on his DDD. Occasionally he would smirk in Belphie’s direction but was careful to hide his amused eyes behind the screen of his device. It seemed Levi had some hand in the youngest’s foul mood.

Asmo was chattering away about something pointless, but Lucifer could see that he too was observing his siblings, and noting their moods. Of course, he teased Satan about the sleepless night and offered a cream that would all but eliminate the bags under his eyes. Asmo complimented Beel on the breakfast, then complained about lack of whipped cream. He checked in with each of them and poked at them at the same time.

There were two empty seats, and both disturbed Lucifer. Mammon was still in the mortal realm, fact-checking for Satan. While he was not the most well suited at the task, at least he was very familiar with humans and their ways. He could blend in far better than most of his siblings. While he was a fool, Mammon was not a complete idiot. He was capable of following orders, or else powerful or not, he would not be ranked second. Lucifer would have preferred if he could have sent Asmo with him, but yesterday Asmo’s point had been valid. It was best he stay here and manage the spin of the situation.

The other empty seat was Grace’s. To say he disliked her condition about not attending the morning meal would be an understatement. He understood the validity of her request, and Lucifer had seen for himself how it had made a positive difference in how she had coped yesterday. But, the room felt empty without her regardless and Lucifer was not alone in missing her presence. Every pair of eyes lingered on her vacant chair some point in the meal.

Grace. She was irritatingly hard to comprehend at times. Sometimes so quiet and peaceful, that her presence was a balm to those she allowed near. Then other times she burned like fire, setting the room ablaze with determination and passion that was almost hypnotic to watch. Lucifer struggled sometimes to understand what motivated her, and what actions prompted what reaction.

Yesterday, was a perfect example. While his siblings had been so distracted by how she had distracted the Demon Lord, none of them seemed to realize what doing so had meant. Grace had chosen them. Lord Diavolo had offered her a way out, an escape. She could have told him everything. Grace could have asked for any punishment she had desired for Belphie, and Lucifer was sure it would have been granted. She could have asked to be removed from their home, and not have to share a roof with the demon that attempted to destroy her sanity and sense of self.

Why had she not taken what might have been the safest route? She had no reason to be loyal to them, and yet, she had been willing to verbally spar with the Demon Prince for all their sakes. Yes, all, even the one that wounded her. For someone who claimed that she did not want to be a part of their family, Grace had done her best to try to protect it. It was a loyalty that he hated to admit, they had not earned.

Lucifer closed his eyes and let free a soft sigh. He had indulged enough in speculation. It was time he was updated on the current stated of affairs. “Satan, have you anything notable to report this morning?”

“Mammon has followed up on four of the files so far, as with Grace’s they too have proven accurate, but lacking in context. Of those four, two are also orphans. This makes tracking lineage more difficult. However, since it seems that medical histories are all valid, I’ve got Mammon checking to see if they have had near-death experiences with miraculous recoveries. Since that was when Grace first showed any signs of Celestial heritage it may prove true for them. So far, it has been the case that all four did survive in circumstances that they should have died.”

“I’ve got something that can help,” Levi offered. He set a USB down on the table. “Plug this into any computer linked to the human internet and it will do the tracing for you. It’s only going to be able to go far as what humans have actually inputted but that’s surprisingly far back. If we are lucky, some of Lilith’s descendants might have done some of those genetic tests. Course, someone’s going to have to take it up there. I assume we are still pretending everything is fine, so I can’t miss class.”

Lucifer looked at Levi, “I thought you had a more important task to do last night.”

“Satan isn’t the only one who's willing to lose a little sleep,” Levi said impishly. “I just don’t look like shit, cause I pull all-nighters all the time. To answer your question, Grace and I made excellent progress in eliminating the falsified memories, but there was only so much she could handle. Once she was out for the night, I worked on this.”

“Is it hard?” Beel asked. “Does it hurt?”

“It took a little bit to figure out how we were going to do it,” Levi answered. “But, we’ve got a system now and I think that maybe if we are lucky by the end of the weekend it should be done. I know it hurts her, but how much, I can’t say. You know what she’s like.”

Beel nodded glumly.

Lucifer was relieved to hear that they were making progress on that front. It was important to him that Grace be made whole. His inattentiveness had resulted in an opportunity for Belphie. True, he had not known that Belphie was capable of utilizing Beel’s pact in such a fashion, but he should have had the foresight to have moved Belphegor to a different prison. Tempting Belphie with prey under his feet had been a mistake.

“We all know what she’s like,” Asmo agreed. “Stubborn.”

There was a general mumble of agreement around the table.

“Speaking of our determined princess, on the schedule today is club meeting here after class instead of at the school. Which means a few things. Beel, you need to be out of sight, since you are supposed to be in the dungeon with Mammon. Remember that Luke will be joining the club as of today, so put away anything that might traumatize the poor dear or that you don’t want him to see. Also, that supper will need to be late or a cold affair we can grab from the fridge and eat elsewhere.”

While Lucifer had not forgotten about the change of locals for the meeting, he had been doing his best not to dwell on it. In his current mood, a house full of annoying and loud lesser demons was the last thing he needed or wanted. The addition of the child angel did not help matters any. He was young, loud, energetic and opinionated. It was an exhausting combination. 

Lucifer would have preferred it had been Simeon who had taken a sudden interest in Grace’s extracurricular activity. They had known each other from before the fall. It gave Simeon a unique perspective that Luke lacked. Luke only saw them as failed angels, which in some ways made them worse than the ordinary demons. 

“Which reminds me, I am not as familiar with the club policies as you are, Lucifer, but is it not strange that Lord Diavolo asked Grace if Luke could join? She had no veto power on any other member, or else Mammon and Solomon would not have had to ‘encourage’ some of the troublemakers to leave.”

Lucifer looked to Satan, who also looked perplexed. Lucifer had to admit he had been more focussed on determining if the Grace had accidentally said something that might further raise Lord Diavolo’s suspicions that he had not wasted much thought on that aspect of the conversation, but now that he had been reminded of it…

Satan gave voice to the same train of thought that Lucifer was following. “It seems like he wanted her to say Luke couldn’t join.”

“This does lend credence to our suspicion that the Prince knows exactly what Grace is. He seems to be consistently limiting her exposure to them. She shares no classes with either and only ever sees them at exchange program events.”

“Then why invite include the angels into the exchange program at all?” Beel asked. “Wouldn’t it have been a lot less work just to ignore them for a year and add them to the program next? That part doesn’t make sense to me.”

“We are obviously still missing pieces of the puzzle,” Satan mused. “But, perhaps the angels are realizing that they are being blocked from her and are pressing back.” He paused and looked introspective. “Simeon might have sensed the Celestial energy she used on the weekend. Either when I performed the test, or when she shattered the attic spell. That could explain Luke’s sudden interest in the club.”

“And Lord Diavolo wants to be able to say it was her choice that Luke could not take part. Angels are very respectful of free will.”

Belphie yawned loudly and moved his plate so he could rest his arms and head on the table. “Wake me when I get to stab something. This part is boring me.” Beel slapped the back of Belphie’s head. “I’m serious. We keep going over the same points. Fine, I amend my previous statement. Wake me when we have new information which is actually useful. You’re starting to talk in circles.”

Lucifer growled softly, Belphie had a point but as usual, had to choose the most disruptive way to present it. “Asmo-“

“Yes, I will talk to Grace about the angels before we go to the academy,” he replied knowing what Lucifer was going to ask. 

Lucifer ignored the fact he had been interrupted and turned his eyes to Levi. “My classes commence later than yours. Give me the USB and I will get your program running.”

Levi stood up and walked over, and held it out over Lucifer’s outstretched hand. “You sure you know which end goes in the computer?” Levi teased.

“As well as I know which end of the whip is the most appropriate to use,” Lucifer answered. Levi dropped it into his hand and Lucifer closed his fingers around it. “Enjoy the remainder of your meals. I will take care of this immediately.”

Lucifer left the dining room and went outside to create a portal to the mortal realm. He stepped through it, immediately feeling the difference between the two planes. The air was warmer and carried more varied scents than the Devildom. Gravity almost seemed to tug at him less here. Being here always made him want to fly. 

Opening his eyes, he saw the familiar sight of an apartment he kept here for personal use. Though he rarely had the need to come personally to Earth, he was a practical demon and should the need arise he had no desire to have to search out a hotel room. No, he was always assured to have a place that suited all his needs, as varied as they were. 

Lucifer opened the curtains, treating himself to a view of a beautiful sunrise. That was the only light he needed. 

The computer chair creaked as he sat down. While he waited for the machine to update, Lucifer decided to check on Mammon. He wouldn’t be expecting it, which was always the best time to check on Mammon. Lucifer pulled a cell phone from the desk and dialled from memory the number of the phone he had provided Mammon for this task.

“Who is this? I’m busy.” Mammon answered, wasting no time on pleasantries.

“How goes your work?” Lucifer asked.

“I already gave my update to Satan, why do I gotta repeat myself for you?”

“Because I demand it,” Lucifer answered. “Are the patterns holding?”

“Yeah, I’ve taken care of six of the files, three are orphans and all six had near-death experiences that they shouldn’t have survived. Oh, all somethin’ new, all six had job offers or scholarships come up within a couple months after they survived. Can I get back ta doing this, or what?”

“So impatient to do work,” Lucifer commented, as he filed away the information. “What have you done with my brother?”

“Ain’t allowed to look at Grace’s stuff til I’ve done the rest,” Mammon answered. “Satan figured I’d get distracted.”

Lucifer laughed. Yes, he was sure Mammon would love to get a peek at the world Grace left behind when she had been brought to Devildom. Lucifer was sure that some of her possessions might make their way to the House of Lamentation as a result. Not necessarily back into her hands, but into the house. “Then get back to it.”

“Hey, Lucifer? There’s one more thing,” Mammon said hesitantly. “Of the six, four are dead.”

Lucifer sat straighter and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. “Four of six?” he questioned. “They perished since the program begin?”

“Yeah,” Mammon said. “I don’t like the way that feels.”

Lucifer did not either.

A cheery sound from the computer drew his attention, and he dismissed Mammon. Sliding the USB into the port, Lucifer stared at the screen watching the code do something indecipherable to him. His mind wandered and Lucifer allowed his face to show some of the doubt and worry he did not feel he could show the others.

He was the eldest. It was his job to care for them, to lead them and to keep them safe, but right now he did not know what the threat was or how to combat it. Lucifer had suspicions and clues, but nothing solid enough to declare war on the Prince of Devildom. 

Lucifer was not one to wallow in self pity, but he did indulge just briefly and lay down the weight sitting so heavy on his shoulders. There was no witness to see him acknowledge the fear and the anxiety this situation was causing him.

Slowly, Lucifer raised both his head and the walls he hid his emotions behind. He smiled, and it was the smile of a hunting predator. The clock was ticking but they were not out of time yet. He would protect those that he held dear. He was Lucifer, once known as the Morning Star. Nothing could or would stand in his way. Heaven could not finish him off, so there was no way anything in Hell could either.


	59. Kitchen Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace hosts her club in the kitchen. Surely nothing can go wrong in a room filled with all three species.

Grace leaned against the kitchen wall and watched the chaos with a smile. Things were boiling, baking and being chopped. She could only pick out the odd word of conversation here and there, mostly related to the upcoming dance. Today had been a good day, despite the paranoia and conspiracies hanging over her head.

She smiled an easy and relaxed smile as she watched Fri partner with Luke. That had been Grace’s best idea today. Fri was so genuine and nice. Luke had been unprepared to deal with a demon like her. The two of them were chatting away happily about the sweet treat they were creating.

It was a relief that the angelic situation was more of a misunderstanding than anything else. Asmo had brought up the concerns about the angels to her during their morning walk. It was good that he had since Grace had totally forgotten about the sealed envelope she had found in her locker. They had paused in the walk for her to read it. 

Yes, it turned out that the letter had been from Simeon. He had been worried that Grace might have been being held against her will, or that she was in danger. He worried that she might have been afraid to use her DDD to contact him, for fear that it might be being monitored. The angel had wanted to make sure that Grace knew that they were there for her and that she could contact him to Luke if every she needed them. Putting Luke in her club so that they would always have a legitimate reason for them to be in contact.

It was very sweet and made her feel guilty for never taking the time to get to know them. Getting Simeon’s number from Asmo, Grace sent him a couple of messages. She apologized and let the elder angel know she was fine. Grace informed him that she had not previously had his number, that he was more than welcome to message her anytime. 

Simeon had followed up with inviting her to dinner at Purgatory Hall later this week, in order to get to know her better. Grace did beg off on doing so immediately, as the week was full with the dance coming up and delayed it to the next week. Sure, that might still be a problem if the plan was to continue to hide her newly awakened heritage but that was now a problem for next week, not today.

Out of the corner of her eye, Grace saw that Darwin was paying far more attention to Fri then he was the Bitter Leather Bark he was supposed to be chopping. He was going to lose a fingertip if he wasn’t careful. Now, both of her friends had complained that they had no dates for the dance, so Grace decided to give Darwin on opening.

“Hi Luke,” Grace said, pulling up a stool and joining them. “How did you and Fri use the bark?”

“We used a human dessert as a base recipe and went from there,” Luke said excitedly.

“I thought it would be fun to play on the name of it,” Fri added with a smile. “Almond Bark. I mean, we are using actual bark.”

“The woody texture of the bark makes it a good substitute for the almond,” Luke explained. “And since the recipe already has cocoa powder we knew the bitter nature of the ingredient would be softened.”

“Can’t wait to taste it,” Grace said, not needing to feign her excitement. “So Luke, is there an ingredient like it in the Celestial Realm?”

Happy to have an audience, Luke started talking about home and the plants that grow there. Grace looked over Fri’s shoulder and caught Darwin’s eyes. She nodded her head toward Fri and winked. 

Grace continued to visit with Luke while Darwin finally got up the nerve to approach. Fri got up from the table and stepped aside to talk with him quietly. Grace did her best to ignore that conversation. It was in their hands now and the outcome was none of her business unless they wanted to tell her.

“I’m kinda sad that you weren’t assigned to live with us at Purgatory Hall,” Luke said suddenly. “I didn’t know you liked anything interesting.”

“Probably best for all of our sakes,” Solomon interjected, stealing Fri’s empty place. “Not sure I’d get a wink of sleep with such a lovely lady a few thin walls away.”

“Hello, Solomon. Quit exaggerating, my current roommates sleep just fine.” She changed the topic. “How did your creation turn out?” Grace already knew the answer to that question. The human sorcerer may be an expert in many things but he was inept when it came to cooking.

“Better than I hoped,” Solomon answered with a satisfied smile. “Care to try?” He held out a plate to her. At a glance, it seemed to Grace that Solomon had baked the bark and seasoned it to use it in place of a cracker. Grace wanted to say no, but that would be exceptionally rude. She reached across and took one of the rectangle appetizers. Even knowing that it was going to be bad, Grace to a proper bite and not the polite nibble. Luke laughed her as she chewed and swallowed it. 

“Interesting,” Grace said. “Texture does actually work well as a base, but I think I would have paired it with a different cheese.” And maybe she would have skipped the sour jelly.

A timer rang and the angel bounced up from his seat. “I’ve got to pull the toasted bark from the oven. Fri!” Luke called, to his partner. Grace laughed happily at the sight.

“And yours?” Solomon asked, drawing her eyes back to him. “What did you make? I didn’t see what you were working on.”

“I chopped it fine and made it into something like a pretzel. After baking, I dipped it in chocolate and dusted it with some cinnamon from home. Only a couple are left, and I’m saving them for Beel.”

“I did hear that there was a scuffle involving Beel this weekend. How is he faring?” Solomon had a glint in his eye, suggesting he knew more than he was saying.

“Both Beel and Mammon are fine. I think the lashing Lucifer gave them is worse than the actual damage they did to each other.” 

“Right…Mammon,” Solomon repeated the name and drew it out. “For some reason, I had gotten the idea that it had been…” he paused and stared at her intently. “Levi?” The wizard stretched out his fingers out to touch her hand. It was not the first time he had tried to touch her since showing up today. He had hovered close on a number of occasions but usually was jostled out of the way by boisterous movements of the others. 

Before Grace could snatch her hand backward, someone reached past her and knocked Solomon’s hand aside. She was grateful until she heard the voice speak.

“Nope,” Belphie said. “Definitely Mammon. It was all his fault that my reunion with my twin was quite brief and that she can’t take her demon to the dance.”

“Ah, Belphie. I’d heard you were home. How did you enjoy your time on Earth?” Solomon asked. His tone was pleasant, but it was clear he was not impressed with his arrival. “Tapped out early, did you?”

“Not exactly,” Belphie answered. “But that is none of your business.”

Grace decided it was a good time to check on everyone else. Belphie’s arrival caused quite a stir and resulted in a couple recipes to end in disaster. On the plus side, Solomon did not have another chance to get close to her.

The evening came to a successful end and her classmates drifted off to their own homes. Grace saw them to the door, then returned to the kitchen for final clean up. Lucifer already hated allowing all these students into the house, she was not going to give him any reason to withdraw his permission for her to host them here.

Grace was elbow deep in the soapy water when the door opened behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see who had arrived. “Good evening, Lucifer. How was your day?”

He paused at the table and reached toward a plate.

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” she cautioned. “That was Solomon’s.”

“I appreciate the warning,” Lucifer replied, safely withdrawing his hand. “It seems to have gone well.”

“I did, thank you.” Grace nodded. “Have you eaten?”

“Yes. I chose to dine elsewhere this evening.” Lucifer casually picked up the drying cloth and took the damp plate from her hand.

Grace cocked an eyebrow at him, but did not comment. If he wanted to dry dishes, who was she to stop him?

“Was Belphie’s presence a suitable distraction?” Lucifer asked.

“Oh, so I can lay blame for that at your feet?” She walked to the table and cleared more of the plates. “I had to turn off the smoke alarm due to exactly how distracting he was.”

“With the added difficulty of trying to handle both the scrutiny of Solomon and Luke, I thought a little extra chaos might be beneficial,” Lucifer explained. “I was under the impression you dealt with the alarm preemptively every time Solomon entered this kitchen.”

“Touche.” She watched the dishes sink into the sudsy water. “Speaking of which, I should fix that.”

Lucifer reached over her head effortlessly and flipped the switch.

She hated just how tall they were sometimes. “Show off.”

He chuckled and returned to his task.

They continued like that for some time, the quiet only broken by the clinks of the cutlery and the clatter of plates.

It was Grace who was the one to disturb the companionable silence. “Lucifer, I have a question.”

“Just one?”

“Just one that is really weighing on my mind at the moment,” she answered. “You know, I went over my file yesterday. Will you tell me why you picked me?”

That file was an unpleasant review of her life, but that was because she knew what those dates and places meant. What had Lucifer seen on that page that made him think she would be a good fit for this world?

“The truth?” he asked.

“Yes, the truth.”

“I picked at random,” Lucifer admitted with a sigh. It looked like he was stalling for time, as he hung the dishtowel to dry. 

“Oh.” Grace unplugged the sink and watched the water spiral down the drain.

Lucifer leaned on the counter and watched Grace. “He was so excited about this program and he was flitting from idea to idea so quickly. That stack of files was the fourth he’d presented me with. I’d scoured the first two piles with a fine-tooth comb. Both those times I had been just about ready to make my selection and he would change his mind about the criteria forcing me to start over.” Lucifer growled softly.

Grace chuckled. She could so clearly picture how much that must have driven him mad.

“I had not really studied yours until last weekend,” he admitted softly.

Grace didn’t know what she had wanted to hear. She didn’t know how she felt about the confirmation that she was literally a random choice. A part of her had hoped that there had been a reason, something special he had seen in her. Instead of processing her feelings, Grace chose to tease him instead. “You do realize that you just told me that you didn’t complete the homework as assigned.”

“Excuse me?”

“You completed the multiple-choice test randomly,” Grace explained. “Mammon is going to love that.”

“You will not tell Mammon.”

“I’m totally telling Mammon. And Satan. You are never going to live it down.”

“What do I need to do to ensure your silence?” Lucifer asked with a scowl. 

“Are you offering to bribe me? What if I’m not open to that kind of persuasion?”

“I have many forms of persuasion available to me, some more pleasurable than others. Think carefully before you discard the option of bribery.” Lucifer pushed away from the counter and took a step toward her.

Grace wasn’t sure if he was threatening to torture her or offering to seduce her. Bolstered by the fact that today was a good day, she was momentarily tempted to continue to play whatever game they were playing, however, she backed down. “I’ll consider the offer.”

“What if I wanted an answer now?” he asked.

“Do you remember what happened the last time you pressed me for an answer when we were alone in the kitchen?” Grace replied. She did, and it involved fire.

Lucifer chuckled. Grace would not have thought that would be a fond memory. 

“My turn, I have a question," Lucifer stated.

“I might have an answer.”

“Did you really threaten to pluck my wings bald one feather at a time?”

“Ooh, who ratted me out?” Grace asked. He seemed to be relatively calm about it. Maybe he thought she had been joking. She hadn’t been, but maybe it wasn’t the bad thing he was under the impression.

“I will not reveal my sources.”

Grace crossed her arms. “Yes, it is true.”

“But you still came home yesterday.” Lucifer's voice was quiet again. “You could have run.”

She let that hang in the air for a while. “Did you want me to?”

It was his turn to let the question hang waiting for an answer. “No. Why did you stay?”

Grace thought about it. It was complicated, and messy, like so many things in life, were. “The easy answer would be I don’t trust him. I never trusted him.”

“You say the easy answer, does that mean there is a hard one?”

“Yes, there is.” Grace looked up at him, directly into his eyes. “I have been bound twice to your brothers. I do not consider that a one-way arrangement. I do not give my soul lightly. When I called Beel ‘my demon’, it was only partly a joke. He was mine, and I was his.“ Grace felt a wave of sadness threaten to drown her. She fought past it and tried to find the words she needed. She chased the words, much like a cat chasing the light of a laser pointer and was having about as much success. “As Levi wants to protect me, I want to protect him. I know you all well enough now to understand that you are a package deal. So that means, I’ll do my best to protect you all. My words and actions are small and mortal, my weapons weak but I'm not afraid to use them for those I care about.”

Grace looked away from him then. Away from red eyes, that should have been terrifying, but looked at her with deep emotion that she couldn’t read. She worried if she looked too long that she would sink too deep and not be able to find her way back. 

The clock of the wall chimed, giving her a perfect excuse to change the topic. “I should take that plate up to Beel and find Levi. Much to do before I sleep.”

“Much to do,” Lucifer agreed. “Levi may be late, Mammon and Satan required his help with something on Earth.”

“I’ve got plenty of ways to fill my time. Unfortunately, it’s not like my teachers stopped giving me homework,” Grace answered glumly. 

She walked to the fridge and took down a plate she had hidden up top. “They must have smelled particularly delicious before I knew there were only three left.”

“Bribing him with food?” Lucifer asked.

“Well, affection alone doesn’t seem to be making a difference.” Her words were intended to be playful but the was a sorrow to them. She stopped at the spice cupboard and poured a small amount of powder into the palm of one of her hands.

“And what is that for?”

“Oh, that’s for Belphie. I managed to dodge by him yesterday, but I don’t think I’ll be so lucky tonight. This will make him sneeze if he tries to get in my way.” Grace smiled. “It would be rude to bring a present for one and not the other, wouldn’t it?” She laughed, but it had only a tiny touch of joy. “Good evening, Lucifer.”

“Pleasant dreams, when you finally get to rest,” he replied.

“You too.” Grace left the room, the door shutting loudly behind her.


	60. Guardian Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mammon finds out why Grace had not taken a lover in two years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING:  
> Yes, spoiler for the chapter contents, but this chapter talks about self harm, personal nudes/videos being posted online for profit without permission, and other sensitive issues. Grace said she had been broken several times and kept putting herself back together. This is one of the things that did it.

Mammon’s day had been long. He had not rested since that nap, and he was closing in on twenty-four hours with no rest. It wasn’t that big a deal. He had gone much longer when necessary, but it was the mental exhaustion that was wearing on him. Today had been very busy, as he made use of being freed from the portal ban to travel the globe making sure everything in those reports was accurate. He’d interviewed the candidates’ friends, family and lovers. He had played many roles including reporter, private investigator, police officer and occasionally ex-boyfriend.

He knew he wasn’t doing the hard part. Mammon was just checking off boxes yes or no. First, was the file accurate? Then came the questions Satan needed answered. Was the candidate an orphan? Was there a near-death experience and a sudden change of city shortly after? Though Mammon had to add one more checkbox to the list. Was the candidate still alive?

Of those nineteen files, all of them had nearly died, survived and healed well and then relocated. Thirteen of them were orphans. Fifteen of them were dead. The last number was the one that bothered him the most. Not cause he mourned the human lives lost. No, because it made him think of Grace’s mortality. Would she be dead now if Lucifer hadn’t picked her file?

Thinking of that stupid folder, Mammon honestly hadn’t been planning on looking too hard at it. Grace had said it was accurate. He couldn’t help but be a little curious though. Mammon had flipped through it during idle moments though the day. He learned that she was older than he thought. She had a full quarter-century under her belt. And that she had at one point gone to culinary school, then failed out. He wasn’t sure why that was, cause she seemed good at it as far as he was concerned. After a break, she started general studies at a new school. That one he planned on checking out. He wanted to see the place she had lived in before coming to stay with them, and maybe find where her stuff got stored. She might like having some of her stuff. It’s not like she’d been given a chance to pack. 

Those had been his intentions, but as the day wore on, his motives had changed. Every single candidate had almost died, with no exception. Mammon needed to know what had almost stolen her from him. His chest felt tight whoever he thought about the fact that she might have died and he would never have known her. That he might have never seen her smile. Never heard her gentle teasing. Or, never tasted that tender kiss on the balcony. He had to know.

Smooth lies and plenty of charm had bought him entrance to the records room of the hospital that had cared for her. The file Lucifer had been provided said that she had spent three months recovering here, which explained the whole failing out of classes thing. But like all the other files, it was useless when it came to the why. 

The hospital record was ominously thick, much thicker than the file that brought him here. Mammon had been planning on reading it here, but the scope of it made him change his mind. This might have been a first. Mammon had stolen almost everything in the course of his life, but he was pretty sure that hospital records were not on the list.

Mammon found himself a pub and sat in a shadowed booth away from prying eyes. Fortified by a cold beer, with a second one standing by, he opened the slightly faded document. The hospital was obviously not caught up with the digital age, the front page was one copy of a triplicate form and he could see the neat and precise handwriting of the admitting nurse. Mammon should have started there, but there were pages with pictures and those heavier pages were sitting askew. That drew both his hand and his eye, so he flipped to the photos documenting the injury. No, injuries, plural. Her body was covered in cuts. Arms, legs, torso, face, all crisscrossed with wounds. 

He touched the page. His fingers were so hesitant. It was almost as if Mammon was worried that touching the page would hurt her more. Who had done this? He needed to read this file to find the answer, but he was having a hard time looking away from the image in front of him. Mammon had seen far worse on the battlefield. He had pushed humans to do worse with his sin, but that did not make what he was seeing any less horrifying. 

Mammon finished the second beer and ordered both a third and fourth before he could look at the rest of it. The glass bottle shattered in his hand when he found the answer to the question of who. He quickly had to shut the folder, when a concerned waitress approached. He almost growled at her, but kept it in check, though the way she backed away clearly demonstrated that he had scared the poor girl. Mammon picked the splinters of broken glass from his skin. It took more than that to cut him. 

However, apparently, it took less than that to wound him. The papers said that those cuts on her body were self-inflicted. Grace had done that to herself. The very thought of that made Mammon feel pain. He didn’t understand. It didn’t make sense. The how was clearly spelled out clinically, but the why was nowhere to be seen.

Mammon didn’t have the patience to dig through all of this. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. Where could he get them? Mammon opened the file again. There had to be something he could use that didn’t require him to have a medical degree to understand. He flipped to the first couple of pages. Who was her emergency contact? How did she get to the hospital? Was it by ambulance or did someone bring her? What was the name of the attending physician?

He needed a person. Someone who was there when it happened. Someone to fill in the blanks connecting the Grace he knew and the stranger in the pictures. Cause that girl was a stranger to him. His Grace tried to make sure whoever took her out went down with her. His Grace was a fighter. Why had the one on the page given up?

One name jumped out, showing up multiple times. Alexander Gent. He was with her in the ambulance, signed her visitor logs several times, and was part of one of her therapy sessions. Oh, and was listed as her emergency contact. Yes, Mammon needed to talk to him.

The internet was a wonderful thing. It did not take Mammon long to find the man, and where he lived. Alexander was a photographer, and his business page showed that he primarily worked in boudoir shoot and nudes. The man had talent, and an eye for lighting, Mammon would give him that. He wasn’t a genius, but capable enough.

It was late afternoon when he knocked on Alexander’s studio’s door. Mammon had called ahead, claiming to want to meet the photographer in person before scheduling a shoot for his girlfriend. He wasn’t going to trust just any guy with his girl. 

Mammon immediately disliked the man that answered the door. Sure, his suspicions made him biased, but the way Alexander carried himself spoke volumes. The man was almost handsome enough that he might have been able to find work in front of the camera instead of behind it. Tall, with unblemished skin, dark brown hair and clear green eyes, this man had won the genetics lottery. Behind a charming smile, Alexander hid contempt for Mammon, assuming that he was nothing more than a mark and Mammon for the moment played the part. Alexander didn’t walk, he strutted, as he invited Mammon in to see the studio.

While the sales pitch was delivered, Mammon looked at the almost life-size prints that decorated the studio walls. Yes, the photographer had a good eye, but Mammon had been photographed by some of the finest humans, and by demons with centuries of experience. This man had no respect for his subjects. Sure, they looked beautiful, but the women displayed on his walls were nothing more than objects. There was no sense of personality or life to the portraits. There was no way Mammon would have let this man photograph someone he cared about.

Oblivious to Mammon’s disdain, the photographer had no doubt that Mammon was going to say yes and hire him. Oh, this one would definitely be going to end up in Lucifer’s circle of hell, unless he changed his ways. Mammon listened to the sales pitch, nodding at the right places since honestly, this man left almost no room to interrupt anyway. Finally, the man ended with, “As you can see your girl will be in the second-best hands, the first best, of course, being yours.” Oh, he thought he was funny. “What did you say her name was again?”

“I didn’t,” Mammon answered. “Ya didn’t give me a chance to. My girl, her name is Grace. Grace Weiss. I think you might have already met.”

The man was a good liar, his expression only flickered briefly at her name. “The name doesn’t ring a bell.”

“Are you saying’ my girl isn’t memorable?” Mammon said, playing with his prey. “Or are ya sayin’ she’s a liar?”

The charming salesperson disappeared as though he had never existed. “Who are you and what do you want?”

“I want answers, and you’re gonna give em to me,” Mammon answered quietly.

“I’ve got nothing to say to you, and even less to say to her without a lawyer present,” Alexander said. “Leave my studio, now.”

Mammon shrugged his shoulders in feigned defeat, and the photographer grinned smugly. Mammon turned and walked toward the door and locked it. “For the record, I did try ta use words first.” His eyes were glowing just ever so slightly as he turned. Mammon was more than happy to ditch the pretences. 

Alexander didn’t seem to notice, he just calmly took out his phone. “I have asked you to leave, and by refusing you are now trespassing on my property.”

Before he could dial the first digit, Mammon closed the distance between them. He relieved the human of his phone and dropped it to the floor. Mammon stomped on it twice, rendering it nothing more than useless scrap. Now, Alexander seemed to grasp that things were not under his control at all. Mammon could hear the man’s heart thundering in his chest. “Who were ya ta my girl?” Mammon demanded.

“She was just a girl I was fucking,” he answered.

“You were her emergency contact,” Mammon stated. Alexander tried to scramble backward, but Mammon matched him, keeping the distance between them uncomfortably close.

“To me, she was just a girl I was fucking! But Grace, she thought we were exclusive!” he clarified.

“And findin’ out ya weren’t? Is that why she ended up in the hospital?” Mammon asked. He knew it had to be more than that. This asshole being a cheating scumbag couldn’t have caused what he saw on those pages.

The photographer hesitated and then started talking, evading the question. “Look, that bitch is not stable. She was on psych hold for months. I don’t know what she told you, but that girl’s crazy. She’s got obsessive tendencies, you really should cut ties with her for your own sake.” He tried to steer his retreat closer to his desk.

Mammon had not thought that this man could dig his grave any deeper, but apparently, he was going to try. Perhaps it was time to cut to the chase and show him that there was no escape. Not even with whatever weapon he had hidden in that desk. Mammon circled him, and opened the drawer, revealing a gun. He picked it up and tossed it to his prey. “Here, have it. Give me the truth or take yer shot.”

Alexander fumbled it. He had not expected Mammon to just give him his weapon. He dropped to his knees and scrambled for the pistol. Once he held it triumphantly, Alexander held it in shaking hands and pointed it at Mammon. “Are you an idiot?”

“Some people call me that,” Mammon answered, unbothered by the insult. “Pull the trigger or tell me the truth.”

“You think I won’t?” he said. “Your mistake.”

The gun went off, and the slug hit Mammon in the torso. Though the bullet pierced his mortal seeming, it barely rocked his body. He looked down at the wound and then grinned at the man on his knees. Mammon shifted to his demonic form and laughed as his flesh healed itself in mere seconds. The human fired a second shot, but with the fear coursing through his body it came nowhere close to hitting Mammon.

Mammon moved toward him, taking slow steps, and enjoying the terror in this man’s eyes. He crouched in front of Alexander. “Guess ya needed a little more practice, huh?” Mammon took the gun and held it in front of the human's eyes. There was horrifying sound as Mammon crushed the gun and with it Alexander’s last hope. 

“Who… what are you?” Alexander asked, his eyes locked on the mangled metal resting in Mammon’s clawed hand.

“Let’s just say since her guardian angel must have been a useless moron, and she had the good sense to upgrade to a guardian demon. Bad thing for you, cause we don’t just sit there an pray for problems ta go away. We make them go away.” Mammon dropped the gun and flexed his claws. “Permanently.”

“Don’t kill me! Please!” he begged, and then he just kept whining the single word over and over again.

“Give me something I want and I might let ya live,” Mammon answered. 

“What do you want?” Alexander asked, eager to buy his way out of the situation.

Mammon growled. “Everything. Your earthly wealth, your soul and the truth, only all three will stop me from leaving your flesh in ribbons and watching you bleed out.”

‘Yes,” the man agreed, with no hesitation. “They are yours.”

“Then tell me about Grace.”

“I never meant to hurt her,” Alexander said. “It was mostly harmless fun.”

“What was?” Mammon asked.

“The website. Go to my laptop and open the website. Bookmarked ‘Whalesong’.”

Mammon stood and carefully picked up the computer. It required a fair amount of attention to detail, as he didn’t want to shatter it before it revealed its secrets. Mammon set it down on the floor and looked expectantly at the human. “Show me.”

It took several tries for Alexander to bring up the page. Mammon loomed over the mortal watching over his shoulder. “It started as a blog. I travel a lot for my work, and why pay for sex when you can get it for free, and ‘whales’ are easy.”

“Whales?” Mammon growled.

“Fat chicks,” Alexander answered. “They are so desperate for any attention, for a scrap of love. They will put up with long absences and missed phone calls. I started giving advice on how to harpoon them.”

Mammon wanted to grab this man’s head and twist, freeing his skull from his body. Mammon wanted to crush that skull like a an empty paper coffee cup. However, his control was excellent, and he would wait. Let him condemn himself fully in his own words. “And she was one of your ‘whales’?” 

“Yes,” he admitted. Alexander was not unaware of the rage radiating from the monster behind him.

“Is that all?” Mammon asked. 

“No,” the photographer answered, for the first time feeling something other than joy at what he had done. “I said it used to be a blog. Now, it's more. If you are a subscriber, you can see pictures…videos.”

“And did your ‘whales’” Mammon made sure the disgust he felt at that term was clear when he used it. “Did they consent to it? Do they get a share of the money you make from their images?”

“No,” he answered, cowering closer to the ground. “Most never know.”

Mammon grabbed him by the back of the neck. Yes, he was a snake and deserved to crawl on his belly, but Mammon didn’t want this piece of shit to have any sense of escape. Mammon lifted him from the ground and roared into his ear. The man pissed himself, the putrid liquid flowing down his leg and dripping onto the floor. “But Grace did?”

“Yes,” he admitted, barely able to force the words from his lips. “I wasn’t careful. I didn’t know she was home, and she saw the site. We fought. I left. I forgot my wallet and came home to find her…” The human swallowed hard. “I asked her why. While we waited for the ambulance, I asked her why.”

Mammon allowed his claws to so lightly prick the man’s skin. “Her answer.”

“I don’t want to look like her. I don’t want anyone to recognize me,” Alexander whispered.

The demon released his grip, and the human tumbled to the floor. Mammon walked over and stepped on Alexander’s chest, not hard enough to break his ribs but enough to make him feel like he was suffocated. “She didn’t press charges?”

“Cause I warned her-“ he gasped out. Mammon lessened the pressure only enough to make it easier for him to confess. “When I visited, I warned her, that those videos would have to be introduced into evidence. Even more, people would see the things she did for me and did to me. I knew there was no way she could handle that.”

“Thank you for your truth,” Mammon said.

There were more questions he could ask, but Mammon feared that if this mortal spoke another syllable that he might lose control after all and finish this quickly. Mammon didn’t want this to end quickly. He wanted to take a long time with him. No, Mammon needed to take a long time. An eternity of suffering would not be enough and Mammon would only get that eternity if this human’s soul was destined for his circle. Best torment him while he was still encased in flesh.

“Do you want me to delete them?”

Mammon had started planning out his torture regime, but those words drew his attention immediately. “Delete them?”

“Her photos. Do you want me to take them down?”

They were still up? Mammon reached down and picked him up by the throat. Mammon threw the photographer against the wall, shattering the glass protecting his ‘art’. Mammon drew himself up to his full, terrible height and unfurled his wings to looks as fearsome as possible. 

Alexander tried to scurry away. “You promised not to kill me!”

“I’m not going to kill you. I’ll keep my promise, but there are so many things I can do to you that won’t kill you. Let’s start with…” Mammon extended his arm and sliced the man’s cheek with a claw. “One. How about one for every day you profited off her even after she found out? She bled for you, I think its time for you to return the favour.” 

Alexander only made it to thirty-nine before passing out. Mammon was disappointed. They would have to start over from one when he woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm sorry, Mammon's dialect gets lost near the end of chapter. I tried but it felt wrong. Makes me wonder how much of it is an act, because it just didn't feel right when he went all big bad demon.


	61. Erase the Internet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mammon calls on Satan and Levi and reveals what he has found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning : Descriptions of the some photos that were posted against Grace's will.

Satan knocked on Levi’s door and awaited the ridiculous request for a password. It did not come, so Satan knocked once more, and when that one was left answered as well, he opened the door.

Levi was sitting in his computer chair, headset on and Satan could hear the bright cheerful music from where he was standing. “Levi,” he called out with more force and authority. Levi swivelled the chair around to look at him. “I need your help with something, or rather Mammon does.”

“What does Mammon need?” Levi asked, pausing his game with a single press of a key.

“He needs you to, and I quote ‘erase the internet’.”

Levi blinked and removed his headset entirely. “I can’t have heard that right. Did you say that he wants me to ‘erase the internet’?”

“I’m just the messenger, but yes,” Satan replied. He knew that the request itself was impossible, but there had been an unsettled tone to Mammon’s voice when he had asked.

Levi shook his head and sighed, “One, I can’t erase the internet, you know that. Two, I have plans with Grace tonight to keep going through the duplicate memories.”

Satan leaned in the door frame. He was aware of both those facts, but it didn’t change the reality that his gut was telling him that Levi was needed. “Grace has her club meeting for a couple of hours, and in that time you can retrieve the data that your program collected, and you can deny Mammon in person. Who knows? There may be indeed something you can do for him, and he’s just not finding the right words.”

Levi rolled his eyes. “All of this would have been so much easier if Lucifer would just activate our connection to the mortal networks.”

“You know why it is we don’t,” Satan commented. Lord Diavolo had very strict guidelines about his people being able to use the mortal's systems. While Satan would love to blame it entirely on errors made by young foolish demons, there was the time Mammon wracked up a considerable debt to an online gaming parlour. Human/Demon interactions were only to be conducted by those assigned to the mortal realm and no one else. That’s why they had their own networks, the DDD system instead of cell phones, Devilgram instead of Instagram and so on. 

As the Avatars of Sin, traditionally they would have access, but most of that had been disabled prior to Grace’s arrival. One of the conditions of the exchange program was no contact for her with her own realm. Lucifer was willing to use the cellphones he had been assigned to facilitate this investigation but wisely left the internet as it had been, off. No doubt to avoid tipping his hand too soon.

“Fine, but at this rate, I don’t know how I’m going to get my dailies done,” Levi grumbled. 

Levi followed him outside of the house and waited patiently for Satan to open a portal. Satan was not surprised that Levi was not particularly talkative. His older brother must have a lot on his mind, between the revolution of Grace’s child and whatever else he had seen while they had been working to undo the damage Belphie had wrought. In fact, Levi’s reluctance to go to the mortal plane was likely more due to wanting to be available to her if needed, because normally he would be quite excited to pick up new things for his collections.

Emerging from the portal, Levi asked. “Did you tell him about Dylan?” 

“I did not think he would have the time today, nor did I think that it was within his skill set to uncover what I needed to know. I’m hoping your program will be better equipped to deal with that question.”

“Maybe I should come back up here after Grace goes to sleep, and see what I can dig up for you.” Levi offered reluctantly. “I imagine you will be too busy with Lucifer this evening to accomplish much else.”

Satan nodded. “As of the last update I received from Mammon earlier this afternoon things do not look good. If the pattern continues to hold true, all twenty candidates have angelic blood. I don’t have evidence to say they were all descended from Lilith, but it seems a reasonable hypothesis.”

Levi gave a low whistle. “What do you think Lucifer will do with that information?”

Satan shook his head. “I hope a dialogue with Lord Diavolo, but Lucifer is taking this as a personal insult. So, I do not know.” He tilted his head, nostril’s flaring slightly. “Do you-“

“Blood,” Levi confirmed. 

The picked up their pace, and Satan opened the door. He stepped into the studio, wary of what he would find inside. Satan’s eyes scanned the room, picking up all the details and putting them together to form a picture. Mammon had attacked this man, he was the instigator and his bother had taken his time doing it. If Mammon had wanted the mortal dead, the room would not look a quarter of this damaged.

Mammon was sitting on the floor, fully in his demonic form. Satan could feel a measure of wrath from Mammon, he had not experienced in a long time. It eclipsed what Mammon had felt when he learned of Belphie’s multiple betrayals. A lesser demon would not be able to sit still with that level of rage flowing through them. Mammon still had it under control, but barely.

The second born’s attention seemed to be fixated on a laptop in front of him. Mammon would prod a key with the tip of his claw and growl. While there was a human man who was laying on the ground bleeding from numerous wounds, Mammon seemed to be ignoring him for now.

“Mammon! What happened here?” Satan demanded.

Mammon looked up at Satan. It took him a moment to answer, as he put his thoughts into words. “I did everything you asked. All the files are done. I even saved hers for last, like ya made me promise.” Mammon paused. “Ya want yer results? All of them almost died, Satan. All of them. And that meant she-“ Mammon’s voice choked up for a second before the anger took hold once more. “That meant she did too.”

So her fight with Xantara had not been the first time she had accessed her Celestial heritage. “I’m sorry, Mammon.” Satan’s tone softened. Mammon’s feelings for Grace were deep, and the thought of her in pain wounded his elder brother so easily. Satan cursed himself for not foreseeing that as a possibility, especially when the evidence was mounting in that direction. He could have forbidden Mammon from doing anything with her file at all. It was too late to fix his mistake now, Satan would just have to do his best adapt to the circumstance. “The human, did he have something to with it?”

Mammon nodded, his eyes still going back to the computer in front of him. 

Satan approached Mammon carefully, seeming to sense just how close to the edge of control his older brother was. “I brought Levi, as you asked.”

Mammon hadn’t noticed Levi’s presence until then. “Erase this! Make this go away!” Mammon pointed at the computer in front of him. “You’re good at this shit. Fix it.”

“What have you got there, Mammon?” Levi asked, picking up the cue from Satan, he too was very cautious in his approach. He crouched down next to Mammon and picked up the laptop.

While Levi did that, Satan looked over the wounded mortal. The wounds on his body were for the most part very precise and had been inflicted after the fight was over. The claw marks were almost identical in length, and Mammon had been consistent in his application of pressure. Nothing was anywhere near to anything vital, the intent of these strikes was obviously to cause pain but no permanent harm.

Satan felt the surge of emotion before he heard Levi roar. Turning around, Satan found that he was now the only demon still in his human-seeming. Levi’s eyes were glowing and the computer had fallen on to the ground. Levi took a step toward the unconscious human, but Mammon grabbed his arms and growled “He’s mine.”

“Levi, show me what you’ve found,” Satan commanded. It was risky to use that tone with Levi, especially when he was in his true form. It had the potential to be taken as a challenge to Levi’s status, especially since their ranks were close. When Levi was playing his role as the harmless otaku, he would usually let Satan take both the lead and the responsibility. 

Levi closed his eyes and hissed. That sound was a warning for Satan not to push him. When Levi opened his eyes, he had regained some measure of control. “I know you need to see this, but I don’t want anyone, ever to look at these images ever again.”

Satan didn’t wait for Levi to hand him the computer, he crossed the distance and grabbed it. He looked at the screen, it only took him seconds to look at the thumbnails and to read the lewd names they had been giving. Satan closed his eyes and made the choice to slip to his natural state instead of letting it claim him. He needed to channel his wrath. Today he did not need the anger that flamed and burned, devouring everything in its path. It was powerful, but it was short-sighted, capable of damaging both friend and foe.

No, he needed the anger of the abused housewife, that one meticulously plotted the demise of her tormentor, doling out death one sweet drop of poison at a time. He needed the wrath that inspired the saying that revenge was a dish best served cold. He needed to draw power from the planning, the dreaming and the sweet anticipation of the execution.

Satan understood why Mammon had let the man live and admired his restraint. It might be wise to be nice to Mammon, because he too wanted, no needed to take some form of vengeance upon that man’s flesh. Grace belonged to them. Satan did not care how they defined that relationship. She was theirs and this trespass would not go unpunished.

He looked down at the images again. There was Grace, lying on a bed, one hand touching herself and the other holding the camera. There was Grace, wearing a maid outfit, black graters holding stockings, and naughty tilt to her lips. Grace looking up at the camera, her mouth wrapped around some man. There were over a hundred pictures, thirty videos in the gallery. Some she had obviously shot herself, others by her partner, and others…others were obviously without her knowledge at all. 

What she was doing didn’t shock him, but what did shake Satan was the expressions on her face. The open way she smiled at the camera with trust. The bright twinkle in her eye that somehow made them even more captivating. Some might call that love. The way her lips were parted and her eyes were half-closed with desire. Satan had only seen the palest shadows of those feelings cross her features while she lived with them. He snarled and look over at the still bleeding man. So he was the reason that she kept all around her at arm's length. Would she ever look at anyone the way she looked in those photos again?

Satan closed his eyes again, took a few calming breaths, and when he opened them sought out Mammon’s eyes. “Tell me the rest, Mammon. She looks…healthy in the images, but you found him because you were looking into how she almost died.”

Mammon rose from the floor and walked over to a couch retrieving the satchel that contained the files he had been provided. He withdrew a thick folder, one that was obviously more compressive than what Lord Diavolo had provided Lucifer. He said nothing, just shoved the papers into Satan’s hands.

Satan could read quickly, even with the weight of their eyes on him. As he did, more and more parts of the puzzle came together. Matching up things he remembered from the document they had with knowing about this event. Putting his encounters with Grace into perspective knowing that this was in her past.

And Dylan. Now he suspected he understood why Grace seemed to have given up on Dylan. What momentum she’d had gained toward building a position from which she could have fought for her son would have ground to a halt. Grace would have had a documented history of mental illness, and could be accused of being involved in the sex industry. Neither of which would look good if she was trying to prove she could be a capable mother.

That thought was what made Satan finally lose his control. The folder slipped from his hands, and he growled. It was a long growl that only picked up volume the longer it lasted. His tail lashed back and forth, causing Levi to have to jump back to avoid getting struck by it. 

“I know what you are thinking, but he traded his soul to me and you can’t have him until I’m done with him,” Mammon said. “He’s mine.”

Satan stepped toward Mammon, “You would be wise not to stop me.”

“Ain’t no one ever called me wise.”

Levi, careful to avoid Satan’s tail, skirted around them to pick up the fallen folder. Levi’s eyes widened at the cold clinical photos. The lines that she had carved in her own flesh. Levi opened his mouth and no words came out, and he had to try again. “She tried to kill herself.”

“No,” Satan disagreed. “None of these were meant to be fatal wounds.”

“I don’t want to look like her,” Mammon whispered. “That’s what she told the asshole over there when he found her.”

The silence was dark and heavy, and the unconscious human had no idea how thinly his life hung in the balance then. All three demons glared at the body slumped on the floor, each picturing what they could and would do to him. Any quarrel about who got to punish him was put aside, as they stood in solidarity with matching hatred for the man who had damaged Grace so thoroughly. Satan was going to have to make sure that they were well stocked with healing potions. He would not want this man to die before they had fully sated their violent desires on his frail body.

Satan broke the silence, asking, “What do you plan on doing with him, Mammon?”

“Well, first I’m going to melt down some gold. I would use the literal money he earned off of exploiting our girl but the melting points of American currency suck and are inconsistent as fuck-“ 

“Where are you planning on keeping him?” Satan clarified.

“I’m bringing him home, of course. Ain’t lettin’ him run free up here and pretty sure now that I’ve accomplished my tasks Lucifer’s gonna portal ban me again.” Mammon answered.

“How are you going to hide him from Lucifer?” Satan asked. “He won’t survive two minutes past him finding out about his existence and what he has done.”

“You two are gonna help me, of course,” Mammon said with a cocky grin. “Cause if ya do, I’ll let you break my new toy, over and over again. Ya don’t want Lucifer ta ruin our fun, do ya?”

“I’ll only help if I get to go second,” Levi said. “She’s my mistress and I have the right.”

Satan looked down at Levi, “Your bluffing. You are going to help regardless.”

Mammon didn’t call the bluff. “Deal,” he agreed. Satan rolled his eyes, disappointed in Mammon. His brother only replied with a shrug and said, “She’s his mistress, ya can wait yer turn.”

Satan grumbled but acknowledged the fairness of the claim. “I will have to report to Lucifer tonight anyway, which will provide an opportunity for you to smuggle him into the house. Levi, you can be his lookout, and make sure none of the others catch wind of this.” Satan paused briefly. “Unless you are planning on sharing with everyone but Lucifer.”

“No!” Mammon shouted. “I barely trust you two not ta take this too far. Beel-“

In the silence, they all imagined what their giant brother would do and none of them could picture the mortal surviving even minutes of his attention.

“Between the three of us,” Satan said. “Agreed?”

Levi nodded his agreement as did Mammon.

“Good,” Satan said, nodding. “Here is the plan. Levi, I’ll give you the address to Lucifer’s apartment. You will go retrieve your data and return here. Mammon, you will report your findings to me, and then prepare the mortal for transport. I will get the hamburgers and meet you here. I will return to the first, and make sure that Lucifer is in his office. Levi, you will return next and gather our remaining siblings in the dining room, giving Mammon his opportunity to take his prisoner to the dungeon.”

Levi rubbed his face with his hands. “You know that’s the easy part, right? The hard part is what are we going got tell Grace?”

“About the asshole?” Mammon asked. “Nothing. Ain’t got nothing ta do with her anymore. I’m doing that for me, not for her. I know she’d hate it, but I need this.”

Levi shook his head. “I mean, do we tell her we know about him, and the site?”

That was an important question. She did not like lies, but was she ready for them to know this? Still hurting over remembering her lost child, and trying to move forward with healing from Belphie’s assault, was it right to bring this one to the forefront of her mind? Satan uttered words he hated saying. “I don’t know.”

“Let me see how she is tonight. If I see an opening and she looks like she can handle it, I’ll bring it up,” Levi offered. “But, if I do that, then I can’t work on any of the research, or start taking down the website. I’m not gonna hurt her like that then disappear for the night.”

“So be it then, if things have to wait, they wait,” Satan acknowledged. He wanted nothing more than to press forward in their investigation. He wanted to finish solving the mystery that had been put in front of them, but he was willing to put that aside for her. Too many people had failed her, and that stopped now. She was theirs and they took care of their own. “We have a plan. Let’s get this done.”


	62. Cracks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi comes home, feeds the twins and then talks with Grace

It was a challenge for Levi to switch back to his mortal seeming. His body was listening to the powerful call of his emotions. It did not want to lose the weapons that were his claws and tail. Especially not when he knew the target of anger was so near at hand, or at least beneath his foot. However, he knew that if he didn’t control himself, then he would not get the satisfaction of torturing that lowly piece of shit.

So, Levi forced his body to obey his command and slipped his familiar mask into place. According to the message he just received, Asmo was out shopping again and had eaten out. Oh well, it not like Beel would turn down the extras. Levi delivered food to Beel and Belphie’s room.

He stood still in the hallway and took a calming breath. Levi needed none of what he was feeling to show on his face when he went to her. He was so angry, and not just at Alexander, but at her too. 

She had hurt herself. How could she? How dare she? He knew that it wasn’t fair that he felt that way, but how could she be so selfish to think that she would not have been missed. There had to be, because if her light had been snuffed out and no one noticed then the balance between the realms was even more fucked up than he thought.

The anger while powerful was actually the more manageable of his emotions. His sin was calling loudly tonight. Levi wanted what that man had broken and thrown away. Levi wanted Grace to trust him as easily as she had once trusted Alexander. He wanted to see those eyes vibrant with unveiled desire. To watch her not bite her lip due to fear but instead because of anticipation. All those things should have belonged to him, or at the very least one of them. Beings that actually cared for her, wanted what was best for her. 

Since calming breathing was not doing the trick, Levi started reciting the names of all the characters in TSL one at a time. He had gotten through all of the Seven Lords and was starting on the side characters when he finally felt that he could camouflage how he was feeling. At the very least, it was manageable, Grace still might read that he was in a bad mood, but Levi was pretty sure she would not catch the depth of it. With luck, he should be able to blame it on the results of Mammon’s research.

With that mission accomplished, Levi approached Grace’s room bearing a grease-stained paper bag as a gift. Sure, she had spent the last couple of hours in the kitchen, but Levi would be willing to bet that she hadn’t eaten. Though Beel and Belphie received Beel’s favourite, hamburgers, Levi made sure that there was a chicken burger, side salad and a milkshake for Grace. He closed his eyes and ensured that he was wearing a friendly smile before knocking on her door.

“Come in,” Grace called from the other side. 

Entering, Levi saw her sitting at her desk actually doing her homework. Grace looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. “Hey Levi, so what was so important that you got dragged topside too?”

Levi set the bag down away from her notes and put the milkshake directly into her hands. “Mammon wanted me to erase the internet,” he answered, turning the truth into a joke.

“Did he accidentally post a not so flattering selfie?” Grace asked teasingly.

“Drink, it’s probably mostly melted, so drink while it's still at least cool,” Levi answered. “And yeah, there are a few photos he wants gone.”

Grace shook her head and took a couple sips of her milkshake. “Too bad for him, that it's not that easy.”

“I’ll do my best, you might be surprised at what I can do,” Levi said.

Before he had left the mortal realm, Levi had taken the site down for maintenance. Later, Levi would delete it, and destroy all the images, but this thing had been live for close to four years. It would be archived and he needed to get rid of those copies too. Plus, while the asshole’s subscribers did not personally hurt his human or the other girls featured on his site, Levi would like to take some action against them. Currently, he was toying with the notion that their info might somehow find its way on a sexual offender registry. 

Grace polished off the meal and threw the trash away. “You still up for doing this?” she asked.

“Are you?” Levi countered. “How was your day? Do you need to kill things instead?”

“I want to kill things,” Grace answered. “But I don’t need to kill things, surprisingly, today was a good day. Not that there weren’t a few hiccups. I mean, Solomon definitely knows something is up with our pact, cause I doubt he drew your name out of a hat, but I think he was looking to touch me for confirmation and that didn’t happen. I bet he would have offered to stick around to help clean up if Luke hadn’t been there.”

“And speaking of the baby angel, how did that go?” Levi sat down on her bed and made himself comfortable. 

“Luke isn’t quite as annoying as I thought he was. Not to say he isn’t annoying, because he is, but I thought it came from a place of arrogance but talking with him, I think its more from a desire to be like the adult angels in his life. It never occurred to me just how young he is. Centuries to you guys compared to centuries to a human, the scale is much different.” 

She closed her textbook and then continued. “You want to know the best part?”

“Of course!” Levi answered enthusiastically. He actually really needed to hear the best part. Levi wanted there to be good in her life to balance the constant shit being slung her way.

“He said goodnight!” Grace said. Her face was briefly, just briefly relieved of the little wrinkle of the between her eyes, and her smile was not forced. “I’m not sure if it was because I brought him food, or if I’m starting to get through to him, but he said goodnight!” The light in her eyes dimmed a little. “Not sure how I’m getting through the door tomorrow night. Yesterday I snuck past Belphie, tonight he was ready for me, but I had a trick up my sleeve. So, that’s a problem.”

“Nah, if he keeps being an asshole about you saying goodnight, I’ll haul him from the room by his hair,” Levi answered. “Problem solved.”

“While I enjoy that mental image very much, I’m not sure you assaulting his twin is going to put Beel in the mood to ever give me a hug goodnight.”

“You might be surprised what puts Beel in the mood,” Levi teased.

“Less surprised that you might think,” Grace said with a laugh. “Zara mentioned that they had a few interludes in the past, and helpfully decided to give me some tips, whether I wanted them or not.”

“Oh,” Levi said simply. He blinked a couple times then asked, “How did that make you feel?”

“Honestly, jealous and a little angry. It took me a bit to remember that despite how human she looks, she isn’t human. My friend is a succubus and lust is her driving sin. She and Beel had hooked up a few times in the past, but apparently nothing in the last couple of centuries.” Grace shook her head. “Zara wasn’t trying to be hurtful. She was in her way, trying to help. Zara would want her friends to have satisfying sex. She’d be happier if she was invited to actively help her friends have that sex, but that’s just gonna be par for the course with her.” She let out a big sigh. “Can we get off this depressing topic and move on to the other? You ready to pick up where we left off?”

“Ready when you are,” Levi said, holding out his hand to her.

Grace joined him on the bed and shifted the pillows until she was comfortably supported. She smiled and reached out her hands to him. That smile faltered slightly as her skin touched him. “You aren’t okay,” She stated. Her eyes unfocused, something that seemed to happen when Grace was trying to process information coming from a sense other than the five she grew up knowing to use. “You’re upset. Angry. What happened?”

While he’d known that there was a chance she’s pick up on his turmoil, it was still a bit of a surprise she actually did. She was remarkably adaptable when it came to the metaphysical things thrown her way. Their pact was new, but she was already able to distinguish subtle variations in it to read his mood. Levi had not seen her do that with Beel. 

The negative voice in the back of his head reminded him, that maybe it had nothing to do with their pact at all, Maybe his control was just so lacking that it bled through regardless. It reminded him, that there were many things he didn’t know about her pact with Beel or about her relationship with Beel.

While he fought to silence his self-doubt and jealousy, Levi forced his face into a worried expression. “The news wasn’t great,” Levi admitted, giving her partial truth. “Looks like Lucifer’s theory is panning out. All of you had angelic blood.”

“The odds of that are pretty much impossible. So it had to be by design.” Grace shook her head and swore. “Fuck. What do you think Lucifer is going to do?”

“I’m hoping for anything other than storm the palace and assault the prince of hell,” Levi answered. It was time to steer the conversation away from this topic. “I don’t even know if my armour still fits.”

“Betcha look cute in armour,” Grace said with a smile.

The smile that should have soothed him was doing anything but. Levi couldn’t help compare it to what he’d seen. He had to find a better way to handle this. Grace could not see how rocky his control was. He did not want to frighten her or push her away. 

Then he remembered that she had already given him the tools he needed to win this fight. That bleeding wreck in the dungeon may have had her heart and her body, but there were things she had gifted Levi that she had given no other. Not even Beel. Grace had allowed no one else into the sanctuary of her mind. That honour was his alone. Grace trusted him to experience her memories and no one else. He used those experiences as both a weapon to push back the jealousy and as armour to dampen its continued assaults.

Levi’s smile was less forced when he replied indignantly. “Cute? I’ll have you know that my full battle regalia is not cute. It is majestic, awe-inspiring and fearsome. My foes tremble before me.”

Grace snickered, “Would they still tremble if they knew you wore lucky boxers?”

“I do NOT wear lucky boxers with my armour,” Levi protested. He crossed his arms and gave her a pout.

Grace gave him a skeptical look. 

“I go commando,” he clarified. “Easier with the tail.”

That made her laugh, and it was so full of joy that Levi couldn’t help but join her. Her playful teasing was soothing him. He had come here to soothe and help her, how was it working the other way around?

Now that his control was less shaky, Levi squeezed her hands. “Back to business?” he asked.

“You sure you are up for it?”

If he was honest with himself, Levi wasn’t really that sure. It would probably be better to wait, but the cost of waiting could be high. And, there were no guarantees for how many more quiet nights they would have. Whatever Lucifer deeded, there was no doubt that there was going to be a confrontation between his family and Lord Diavolo. If they were lucky it would be a battle of wits, but it was also possible that this could turn into a real and bloody battle. No, Levi could control himself enough for what they needed to do. So, he gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. 

Grace mirrored his nod and closed her eyes.

Levi knocked on the door to the inner sanctuary and waited for her to let him in. As the door swung inward, and slowly revealed her form, Levi realized that maybe he had made the wrong choice. Yesterday, he had paid little mind to how she had dressed in this place. Yes, he had noticed that she did not see herself in a flattering light. He had been more concerned with the added weight, the unkempt hair, and the dull look in her eyes. He had noticed that the clothing was oversized and ill-fitting, but Levi had not really pieced together that it covered every inch of her flesh, except her face.

Did she still bear the wounds from that day here? If he slid that sleeve upward would her flesh be scarred in those same patterns? Levi stood in the doorway, immobile for a moment as he contemplated that. Grace moved inside, and when she sensed that he wasn’t following her, turned to look at him curiously. “Levi? What’s wrong?”

He entered the room and closed the door behind him. “Sit down. We need to talk.”

A look of irritation flashed across her features. “Ask me. This is my place and that sounded like a command. Ask me.”

Right, it probably had come across that way. His tone had been curter than he intended. “Please, can we sit. Something else came out of Mammon’s work today, and I didn’t want to bring it up, but I think its better if we talk about it.”

Grace bit her lip. “Please tell me nothing bad has happened to Dylan,” she asked.

Levi took a few steps closer. “We haven’t found him yet, but we will. Satan didn’t set Mammon that task today because we didn’t have enough to start the search yet. Mammon doesn’t even know about him yet.” He gently took her by the elbow and encouraged her toward the bed. 

She sat down and Levi joined her. “The way Mammon confirmed that angelic heritage of the candidates was by the fact and all of them had near-death experiences and recovered miraculously. Even though we knew your file was accurate, Mammon was curious, and wanted to know how you had almost died.”

“Oh,” Grace said, then her eyes widened and she repeated that same syllable louder. “OH.”

“Oh?!” Levi asked. “That’s what you have to say?”

“What do you want me to say, Levi?” Grace asked.

“Something! Anything! Talk to me!”

“It’s over. It’s done. It’s in the past, I’ve moved on and I don’t think that it has any more relevance on your investigation that proving that there was evidence I wasn’t human before I arrived in Devildom.”

Levi didn’t know what he was expecting, but this wasn’t it. She seemed calm and was choosing her words with purpose. But shouldn’t there be tears? There were tears yesterday when she spoke of Dylan. If not tears, he expected to see some anger, but she was giving him nothing.

“If that is all, can we do what you came here to do?” Grace asked. She rose from the bed and walked toward the desk to pick up the photo album.

“You know you can talk to me about it, right?” Levi asked.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Leave it alone Levi. It's in the past.”

Levi stood up and walked to her. “Is it?” He slid the long-sleeved shirt up to reveal the marks he’d suspected were there. In his mind, they would be long-healed scars, but no these were barely healed at all. “This doesn’t look like even you believe it is in your past.”

Grace snatched her arm away from Levi and glared at him. “It’s my problem to deal with.”

“But are you dealing with it?” Levi asked. 

“I said, leave it the fuck alone Levi,” Grace warned.

“Even if I do, do you think the others will? Grace, you are going to have to-“

“Enough! Just ENOUGH!” She shouted. 

Levi thought he heard a cracking sound, but the look in her eyes pushed that thought back. Her eyes were almost glowing. He had never seen her this angry. 

“I am done! Hear me, done! I’m exhausted from all the things I’m expected to do, expected to be. I’m doing everything I can not to break and shatter! To move about the day and not fall to pieces where someone might see it? And now, you need to open old wounds and make me bleed in front of everyone. I can’t do it, Levi! I can’t!”

Levi desperately wanted to interrupt but could think of nothing to say.

“I am tired of being afraid. I am tired of having no power, no agency in my own life. I’m tired of needing someone to protect me. Because you know what. You are going to fail. That’s the one lesson that life has taught me over and over and over again. EVERYONE will fail you. And I mean everyone because no matter how I try, I’m just going to fail the people I care about too. Just like I failed Dylan.”

Levi reached for her, “Grace, you didn’t fail him and you haven’t never failed us.”

She stepped back, not letting his hand get close. “I think you should leave.” He said her name softly and she shook her head. “Don’t make me have to use the pact. We aren’t going to get anywhere tonight, so go.”

“Come with me, let’s slaughter our enemies together,” Levi offered. “I’ll even let you have first pick of the chests.”

Levi didn’t like the look on her face. Distant and numb, like she was trying to put all those messy emotions back into the box they’d escaped from. He wanted to tell her that from experience, he knew that it didn’t work, but he was worried about what the consequences of pushing her might be. 

“Maybe later.” They both knew that was a lie. “I just- I wasn’t- I’m not ready to deal with this. Give me space.”

“You aren’t okay,” Levi said.

“Of course, I’m not okay,” she snapped. “Just fucking go, alright?”

Levi turned and left, never noticing the crack in the window behind her. 


	63. Shattered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace tries to cope with the truths that will come to light whether she wants them to or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Grace reflects on both the situation with Dylan, and what happened with Alexander. This is a dark dark chapter from an emotional standpoint.

Once Levi had left the room and Grace had locked the door behind him, she let out a deep primal scream. She was so angry, though anger seemed too weak a word for how she felt. She screamed herself hoarse, but it was safe for her to do so here. No one could hear her. Here she could scream and curse and no one would see her look vulnerable or weak.

Weak. Weak was how she felt. Each and every time she tried to take control over what was going on around her, it just got worse. Grace felt like she was coming apart at the seams, and that the patches were not going to hold for much longer. How was she supposed to leave this place to go back and face them? Now that they knew about her biggest regret and her most terrible shame.

If they all didn’t know about Dylan, they would soon. Tears started the flow down her cheeks. Satan could joke all he wanted, but she knew, she knew that she had failed her baby not just once but twice. She had let him down when she had agreed to give him up, and she had failed him again when she had failed to see through Alexander.

Grace’s chest burned. She had been on track. Grace had gotten her GED, she had gotten a job at a small bakery cafe. The head chef had helped her get into a culinary school. She had been squirrelling the money away, building a career and dreaming of when she could at least if not be Dylan’s mom, at least maybe be acceptable to be a part of his life.

Then she had met Alexander and it had all gone wrong. She’d been such an easy mark. It hurt so much in retrospect to see it. He said all the things she wanted to hear. That she was special, and that she was beautiful just the way she was. He had been the first man she’d been with since Dylan, and she’d missed that connection. Not just the sex, but God knew that was true. No, she had missed being touched and being held.

He hadn’t taken up much space in her life. Away for work for sometimes weeks. Their relationship had been mostly through call, text and video chat, but when he was in town, those days had been magic. After three months, he more or less lived at her place when he was in town. She had loved him. Grace hated how stupid she was that she had loved him.

Grace rubbed at her face with her hands, trying to brush away angry, humiliated tears. Love. Love was a false promise. It was a lie. Even her love for Dylan. How many times had she been told if she loved her child she’s let him go? If she loved him, she would want what was best for him. No, her love was a selfish one. She wanted him. Even years later she wanted him. She wanted to know what he looked like now, to see his smile. Maybe he was happy and maybe it had been the right thing, but she still wanted him. That would never happen now. No, her stupidity, her blindness had cost her any chance of ever being a part of his life now.

How dumb had she been that Alexander had been able to fool her for so long? Eight months. They had been together for eight months, and it probably would have been longer if it hadn’t been for bad timing. He had gotten in a day earlier than normal, and a burst pipe at work had sent her home early. His laptop had been open on the kitchen table and he had gone to take a shower.

Grace had not been able to look away. Everything was a lie. Every gentle touch and every whispered endearment, chosen and executed with precision. She saw scripts for conversations they had shared, with a blank space where her name would have been. Advice regarding giving your ‘whale’ a pet name so you didn’t screw it up. He had almost always called her baby or darling.

Even though she knew it was a bad idea, Grace had clicked on the images of herself. Words she had put behind her, words she had not heard spoken aloud in years were written in the comments. Fat slut. Stupid whore. Dumb bitch. Those were the kinder words the commenters used to describe her. Those were the words her classmates in high school had used to describe her too.

It had been too much. To see the side of herself that she had only shown to him, out in the open for everyone to see. To see the body that she hated so much, on display for others to ridicule and mock. For the world to see the things she had been willing to do for him because she had been willing to do almost anything for him. She had fucking loved him! And she had been nothing to him. Nothing special, just a random fat girl he’d conned into bed and kept because she would do what he liked.

Immersed in the memory, reliving the anger, the shame and the sorrow of that moment, Grace did not hear the glass crack further. Her eyes were closed so there was no way she could see the blemish in the glass spread and branch out.

Grace lightly stroked the marks on her arms and closed her eyes. Even here, in this place that was supposed to feel safe, she didn’t want to face the rest of those memories. Feeling helpless and alone in the hospital, thinking that it had just been a bad breakup that had made her try to scar her flesh. Feeling like nothing she did in the world would ever make a difference. Having to wake up for months and look at what she had done to herself and see those marks and know that she was really and truly broken.

It was wrong but a part of her was sad that there were no scars. They could have been a warning to the world around her. Stay away, this one is broken beyond repair. Nothing but trash. Stay away.

Grace was tired, she laid down on the bed and wrapped her arms around the pillow. She wondered what they would have thought if she had shown up in the Devildom that first day, her shattered heart and soul displayed on her body. Would they have sent her back? Maybe they would have just killed her and put her out of her misery.

Why not, right? They had nineteen other people to choose from. Maybe if they could have seen just what a horrible choice they had made, literally see it… Never mind. It hadn’t been a choice at all according to Lucifer. She was not chosen. She was not special. Yet again, just a random girl.

Around and around her emotions swirled, some of which she had kept bottled for far too long. Fury that she so often swallowed back in order to keep the appearance that everything was okay. Sorrow for the losses she had suffered. Love for those around her though she would rather swallow her tongue than admit to feeling it. Passion that she was terrified to let show because the last time she did she had been shattered. Fear that these new revelations about her were going to change everything. Guilt for even feeling happy those few moments at a time. Worst of all was the overwhelming feeling of being too weak, and not able to take care of herself coupled with not feeling worthy of being protected. Feeling helpless and lost.

The window shattered, and Grace raised her head. The power that she had felt before, under Satan’s guidance rushed in. She had thought it was a pool that she could dip into, but she had been wrong. It was a river, with a deep and powerful current that threatened to drown her.

Grace raced to the window, and not realizing it was broken reached out to try to close it, and cut her hands on the broken glass. She hissed with pain and swore. It hurt, but she realized her hands were the least of her problems. She felt powerful, but she knew she had almost no control over what was flowing into her, and not sure how to release it safely. She remembered what had happened with the candle in the test, and felt afraid.

The magic jumped in response to her fear and Grace tried to calm herself. It wasn’t working well.

Grace needed something to block the window. Something to stop the flow of power long enough for her to catch her breath. She looked around the room. The TV! It was big enough and wide enough! Grace raced across the room and carried it awkwardly. She shoved it into place and felt some relief. She knew it was a temporary respite, but it bought her a few minutes. She needed to find help.

The power battered at the barrier, as she chaffed at yet again needing help, needing rescue. Grace closed her eyes and tried to control her emotions but they were too raw, too strong right now. She would not find help here. Grace needed to leave her mind. It was harder than it should have been. She was distracted by the mystical energy crying to be used.

Finally, she snapped her eyes open. She took a shuddering breath and rose to her feet. Already the hasty barrier was weakening, and magic was leaking out. Her room shook. Pictures fell from the wall, and things slid from the desk. Fuck. How was it possible to feel so powerful and so powerless at the same time?

She had to get out of the house. She had to find help. Again at the thought of someone seeing her vulnerable and out of control just made things worse. So, she concentrated on the first step which was to get out of her room. Grace’s legs were shaking but she made her way to the door. Reaching for the door handle, she hissed in surprise when she felt pain. Grace looked down at her hands, they were bloodied by wounds that had not even happened in the physical realm. How was that even possible?

She threw open the door and almost stepped on a cat. Player One and Player Two were in the hall.

“I don’t have time-“ Grace started to say.

“We know.” The cats spoke in unison.

“Pick me up,” one of them ordered. “I can help.”

At this point, Grace was willing to try anything, so she picked up the cat. “I can handle the overflow, at least some of it.”

He was right. There was some relief, and she wasn’t feeling quite as overwhelmed. Grace was still being dragged along by the current, but no longer drowning in it.

“Do you have any control at all?” the cat in her arms asked.

“No, it's reacting to my emotions, not my thoughts,” Grace answered, hanging her head. “And my emotions are not in a good place.”

“It’s okay,” the one in her arms said soothingly. He nuzzled her hand affectionately, despite the blood.

“It’s fixable,” the other one added. “But if concealing what you are is still a priority we need to get you into a protective circle before you advertise it to the whole of Devildom.”

“Outside. Now.” The cats' voices were again in unison.

Grace normally would have taken issue at being commanded by them, but she could see the logic in their solution. Her limbs were still shaking she made her way to the garden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was hard to write. In fact, I had to write it twice. I hope that I was able to convey the sheer visceral depth of the emotions that she keeps trying to repress and hide.


	64. Broken Locks on a Vulnerable Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asmo returns home to find Grace in a protective circle in the garden with no one but cats for company.

With his shopping and other stress-relieving endeavours done, Asmo made his way up the walk to the house. He was looking forward to a long soak in the tub and maybe trying out some of the new bath salts that had come in. Grace’s classmates should all be gone by now, and avoiding Solomon had been intentional. While the sorcerer had the ability to summon him, and could and would do so on a whim, Asmo had no intention of making himself readily available to be interrogated. 

He was about to climb the stairs when a flicker of light from the garden caught his attention. Curious, he set his parcels down on the steps and followed the path. He wondered what Satan was up to since he was one of the few who used the garden for ritual work.

The gate opened soundlessly. Asmo stopped almost mid-step when he saw it was Grace that was sitting in some sort of protection circle. He looked around for one of his brothers, whatever she was doing she should be doing it under supervision. The circle flared, bringing his eyes back to it and her.

Grace’s face was tear-streaked, but for now, no more tears seemed to be falling. Her eyes were closed, and her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. He watched the rise and fall of her chest, and if he had to judge Asmo would say that she was close to total panic. Sitting on her lap was one of the two Siamese cats that had been following her around for nearly a month. Grace’s fingers were dug into its fur and she was holding on to it as though it was the only thing keeping her from falling off of a cliff. 

Asmo stepped to move closer and a voice at his feet cautioned, “Careful Sex-Toy. She trying to regain some control but right now she is very dangerous.”

“You don’t know her very well if you ever thought she was anything but,” Asmo replied, glancing downward at the feline. “What happened?”

“We are not sure. She’s lost what little conscious control she had over the magic. I’m holding the circle and my twin is keeping her from being drowned in the unrestrained power.”

“Where is Levi?” His brother should be here. “Or any of the others for that matter?” Someone should have sensed this happening under their own roof.

“Fish-Boy and Empty-Pockets are in the dungeon, and I doubt they felt the surge of power. Satan and Peacock are in the office, and unless they are fighting, okay who are we kidding, they are fighting and probably missed it. Giant and Walking-Coma are in their room and I think they are sleeping.”

“What can I do to help?” Asmo asked. 

“Go get someone more suited to the task,” the cat snapped. “She doesn’t need to be fucked right now.”

Asmo frowned. It was annoying enough that his family often dismissed him, there was no way Asmo was going to take it from some four-footed furry creature with a god complex. “See I have opposable thumbs, so I don’t actually have to go anywhere to do that.” As Asmo carefully drew closer to the magical ward, he texted both Satan and Lucifer. If the matter wasn’t so urgent he would have used innuendo, but given the circumstances, he chose brevity and clarity. Magical 911 in the garden with Grace. 

“Hey sweetheart,” Asmo greeted, stopping just outside the barrier. 

Her features shifted ever so briefly to a look of disgust, but she smiled when she opened her eyes. “Hey Asmo, how was your evening?” She was forcing casual conversation, as though nothing was wrong and he hadn’t just walked up to find her in a protective circle.

“There were fireworks,” he answered teasingly, matching her casual tone. “Nothing as spectacular as what you’ve got going on, but everyone had an enjoyable time. So, what exactly is going on, darling?”

Again there was a flicker of displeasure on her face that she quickly tried to hide. Did she not like pet names? Asmo tried to think if she had ever said something about it, but nothing came to mind. That was something to file away for later.

“I’m trying not to burn down your house,” Grace answered. “I don’t know what to do. Everything is broken and everything I try to do to fix it makes it worse..”

As she spoke he saw worry, fear and anger all flit across her features so quickly that one emotion barely registered before the next took its place. Asmo had never seen Grace so raw, so unguarded in her entire stay with them. Something big must have happened to shake her this much. Though she kept trying to put her normal mask on, it wouldn’t stick.

“Can I sit with you?” he asked.

Grace shook her head. “I’m afraid that I’ll accidentally hurt you.”

“I’m not,” he replied.

“What? Don’t think I’m capable of hurting you?” her voice was a little indignant. She immediately followed the statement with an apology. “Sorry, Asmo.”

“I know you are dangerous and quite capable of hurting me on purpose,” Asmo answered. “But, I trust you enough that I don’t think you will accidentally.”

“I don’t,” Grace said in a whisper. “I’m scared Asmo.”

The cat at his ankle looked at him as though he was crazy, but lowered the ward long enough for Asmo to step through. “It’s okay to be scared, Grace.” Asmo sat down next to her on the ground. “What can I do?”

Grace shook her head and shouted in desperation, “I don’t know! I can’t control anything! Not how I feel! Not this power that feels like it's going to drown me! Not anything. Everything is spiralling out of control. I’m barely holding it together, and I’m afraid of what will happen if I let go,” her voice sank to a whisper. “And a part of me wants to surrender and let the world burn.”

Asmo reached over and pried the fingers of one hand away from the cat. He firmly grasped her bloodied fingers in his hand. “Let go. Let it burn. I’ve got you.”

“No, I can’t” Grace protested.

Asmo stroked the outside of their clasped hands with his free one. This was not about the magic, or at least this was not just about the magic. This was about emotions, the raw powerful emotions that she kept repressed and hidden, from them and more importantly from herself. Alone in the locker room, her magic had reacted to the primal fear of death, and tonight something must have made her feel just as threatened. 

“I can’t. I need to have control,” Grace said, shaking her head.

Asmo was pretty sure that she never really had control of her emotions. He was certain that Grace just locked them away. Something had broken those locks and she had no idea what to do with what she was feeling, and the magic was reacting to that. Now, how to make her see that without making things worse.

“Okay,” he said, accepting that answer for now. “Then start by focusing on your body. That is in your control. You command it. It obeys you. Start with your breathing. Slow deep breaths, okay?”

Grace nodded and closed her eyes. As she fought to make headway in bringing her heart rate and breathing under control, Lucifer and Satan arrived. 

Satan sat down on the ground next to the cat holding the circle. The circle changed colour, so Asmo assumed that Satan took control of it over, and the cat freed from his duty joined his twin. Though the cat did not crawl into Grace’s lap, it laid next to her leg touching her.

Lucifer looked frustrated and opened his mouth to say something, but Asmo silenced him with a glance. He was glad the eldest was here. Lucifer had much more experience with this sort of thing, but Lucifer also had a tendency to upset Grace, and that would be one of the last things they needed at the moment.

“Feeling a little better that there is at least one thing that you have power over?” Asmo asked.

She squeezed his hand and nodded. “Yes.”

“Yes, do that. When you start to feel out of control squeeze my hand and prove to yourself you aren’t, okay?” 

“You just want to hold my hand,” Grace teased. 

“Guilty as charged,” Asmo answered. “Doesn’t make the technique any less valid. Would it make you feel better to hold something other than my hand?”

"Your hand is fine," Grace chuckled. 

“Can you tell me what happened tonight?” Asmo asked gently.

“I don’t want to, and that’s the problem.” The amusement was gone from her face and was replaced by frustration. “I don’t get to decide that anymore.” What little calm she had gathered started to crumble. Her breathing started to go back to short quick inhales and exhales punctuated by statements. “My life gets to be a fucking open book to all of you. My greatest regrets. My deepest shames. The worst and most ugly parts of me. All of it on damn display.”

Asmo gave Grace a moment to see if she would try to gather herself. It was hard to be patient, but he didn’t want to press. She needed to feel in control. He was rewarded with a tight squeeze of his hand, and the slowing of her breathing.

When it was almost back to normal, he asked, “How does that make you feel? You don’t need to tell me, but I want you to think about your feelings. Embrace them, they are yours and you have a right to feel that way.”

Asmo watched her face carefully, carefully noting the emotions as they appeared and disappeared. Some she admitted to aloud, but others Grace didn’t. “Angry, Scared. Ashamed. Vulnerable,” she paused after that one and opened her eyes. “I don’t know you. Not really. Some of you have said not to worry about the skeletons in my closet because you have worse, but it's not like you share them. The things you do in the name of what you are don’t count. Start a war, that doesn’t trouble your conscience. That’s a day at the office. It’s not fair. I never wanted any of you to see me this way.”

Yes, she was right. It wasn’t fair. He was going to have to change that. Asmo’s smile held a hint of mischief, “I have been waiting nearly four months for you to ask me to get naked.” Asmo saw the scowl on Lucifer’s face. His elder brother obviously assumed that he was just making light of the situation, and ignoring the truth under it.

“I regret not telling my sister I loved her more often.” Asmo was taking a chance and giving her what she asked for. Sentence by sentence her stripped himself bare and showed her some of his most vulnerable parts. “You take immortality for granted, and there seemed to be infinite tomorrows. Then she was gone and I’ll never get the chance again.” 

He paused and frowned. “I hate being seen as only my sin. There is so much more to me and who I am then just that, and I’m tired of being underestimated.” He kept his eyes on her and did not look to see how either of his brothers reacted.

The worst one he kept for last. It kept him awake at night, and sometimes drove him to drown his worries in the soft willing flesh of others “I’m terrified that one day Solomon will use my pact and force me to do something monstrous.” The sorcerer scared him more than most demons. “Trust me, we have broken parts that have nothing to do with being demons and everything to do with the choices we made.”

Grace looked at him, as though she was seeing Asmo for the first time. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I’m guilty of seeing you as only your sin.” Grace bit her lip and looked down. “And I have a very complicated relationship with your sin Asmo. So it was just easier to keep you away.” She went silent for a moment. He watched her expression as she gathered the courage for what she wanted to say next. “For a long time in my life, your sin was how I coped with all the dark emotions. The only time I felt needed, felt not alone was in those few seconds of release. I didn’t care who it was if it just let me forget for a little while.”

She looked up at him and swallowed hard. “I ended up having a baby.” She didn’t speak for a long time after saying those words. When she did, there was such a tender look on her face. “His name was Dylan and he was tiny but beautiful.” Shame replaced the tenderness, then sorrow chased the shame away. “I gave him away.”

Grace took her time and composed herself. That it took time gave Asmo hope that she was at least allowing herself to feel the emotions and not just try to lock them back up.

“I knew I had to change if I ever wanted to have even a chance of having him in my life.” For a moment she looked proud and happy. “It was a long road to find a way to respect myself, and realize I deserved more than two seconds of feeling needed. I deserved someone who made me feel that way all the time.”

Her hand gripped his crushingly, and the panic was back. The passed agonizingly slowly as he waited for her to continue. A part of him almost told her she didn’t need to continue, but this time she was choosing to tell this to someone, and choosing to tell it in her words. Asmo would not take that choice from her. 

Eventually, she found the words to speak. Asmo listened and she told him about Alexander. Sometimes she could only speak one sentence before going silent for a while. Occasionally the magical circle would flare, the magic reacting to the threats in her past that were making her feel angry and scared. Through all of it, he never took his eyes from her. Tonight he was witnessing so many new sides of Grace he had never seen because she kept all the messy bits hidden. 

What happened to her make him feel sick. It was worse that people associated that monster with his sin. Lust was not what motivated a creature like that. No. This was about power, about control. Behind the patient smile on his face, Asmo wondered where this man was now. A man who made sure to cover his tracks, and making sure that she felt powerless to seek justice for what was done. Someone who had surely gone on to do it to others, and lose no sleep over the devastation he left in his wake. Asmo would like to know he got what he deserved.

Asmo wanted to hug her. To have gone through the work to pull her life together, and then to have put her trust in the wrong person, was shattering. To feel like no matter how hard she worked, how hard she tried she would still be in her words ‘stupid, fat and ugly’.

Grace’s silence held a sense of finality, as though she had said all the was intending to say. It was more than what he had hoped for, but the topics were worse than he had feared. Asmo would have needed to be blind to not realize that she was walking wounded, but the scope was more than he imagined. 

Asmo asked her a question. It was one he knew the answer to, but Asmo thought that she needed to answer it for herself and fee the truth in it. “You were afraid us finding out these things would change something. If we didn’t matter, our opinions wouldn’t count. Grace, why do you care what we think of you?”

“I…” Grace said the one syllable and then bit her lip to be silent. He watched her struggle against her own emotions again and wished he could make it easier. She shook her head, and the barrier flared brightly.

Now, Asmo moved and acted on his earlier impulse. He made her release the tight grip she held on his fingers and shifted to sit behind her. He expected her to try to push him away and would have accepted that if it was her wish. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised that she accepted his embrace. Asmo tucked her body between his legs and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. The second cat climbed into her lap as well, to get out of his way. As Asmo, settled into place, he rested his chin on her shoulder.

He looked around them and noticed that the rest had arrived at some point. He had been so intent on Grace that he had not been aware of their approach. Asmo was sure that Grace was oblivious to their presence. At least she would not have to tell this story again tomorrow. Selfishly, Asmo felt a little cheated that a moment that was meant for him had been shared with not just Lucifer and Satan, but with them all. Especially with Belphie, who had earned no such trust. 

“If you can’t say it. That’s okay. But you need to feel it,” he whispered in her ear. It was hard not to turn it from just intimate closeness into something sexual, but he could do it. 

“I don’t want to,” she whispered back. “Nothing good comes of it.”

“Nothing?” Asmo asked. “No, that is a lie. The quiet mornings you laid in bed with Beel until either his stomach or Mammon interrupted. There was nothing good in that?” Asmo smoothed her hair. “It’s okay to be afraid of it, but you need to acknowledge you can still feel it, in all of its forms.”

Grace shook her head, and Asmo just held on tight. She wasn’t ready, and he could understand why she wasn’t ready, but he had been around the sorcerer long enough to know that until she was able to understand her feelings and accept them, control would be out of her reach. And if she could not achieve that control and continued to repress her feelings, her magic was always going to be unpredictable and in danger of going rogue.

Asmo just rocked her gently for a while, enjoying not only the feel of her body pressed to him but the trust it represented. The last few days had been hell, but it had marked a change in their relationship. Given what he knew now, he treasured that she was giving him this trust and not pulling away and inward.

It wasn’t just progress in their relationship that had been made this evening. Asmo could tell by the lessened level of concern on Satan’s face that the magic issue was not so critical anymore. “Do you feel like you can let go now? Trust that we have you. Let the power go. The wards can take it.”

“And if the world burns?” She asked.

“How would you like your marshmallows toasted?” Asmo asked with a shrug. “I was getting bored of this neighbourhood anyway.”

Grace’s was not the only sigh of relief when the power flowing through her finally dissipated. Both Satan and Lucifer let out breaths they were holding.

“How do you feel?” Asmo asked.

“I hurt, Asmo,” she whimpered. “A lot, and yet, somehow I feel better. The power. It’s still there, but it's not crying to be used.”

He kissed her hair. “Good.”

“Fuck,” Grace swore softly. “Now what? How am I-“

Asmo tightened his hold just slightly and made a soothing noise. “No. Don’t worry about it. You need to rest at the moment. You need time.”

“But-“she protested, “There is no time to rest.”

Lucifer chose that moment to break his silence, “We will find the time.”

Her body stiffened, as Grace realized for the first time that she and Asmo were not alone. Lucifer circled so that Grace could see him. He crouched down so that they were at eye level. 

Grace ducked her head. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I lost control.”

Satan scoffed from where he was sitting, “You can’t apologize for losing something you never had to begin with. We had not even begun your training yet. You were not prepared for this, but it is not a failure. This was just a bump in the road.”

Asmo could already feel the tension building in her body again. He wasn’t sure how he could help, other than by just being there.

“How do we make me safe to go to school tomorrow?” Grace asked.

“No!” Mammon shouted from the bench where he was sitting. His frustration at feeling useless in this situation had him sitting slumped with his hands clenched on his knees. “She ain’t going to school tomorrow!”

“I’ll burn it down first,” Levi added. He had been pacing back and forth as he listened at watched everything. He stopped moving to look at Lucifer, ensuring the eldest knew that it wasn’t an idle threat.

Each new voice that entered the conversation made her jump a little. Asmo could no longer see her face, but her hand sought out one of his, and she squeezed it. Grace gave a weak chuckle. “If I had known that earlier that was an option, I could have killed two birds with one stone.” Her eyes looked to try to find Levi. It took her longer than it should have to find him, while the garden was shrouded in shadows it was not yet full dark. “Hey you, come closer.”

Levi, haven now been given permission to approach, did not hesitate to get nearer. Levi settled himself on the ground near her, he looked at Grace's hands, the one that was still buried in the cat’s fur and the one still wrapped in Asmo’s and frowned. If Levi thought he was going to let go, he was mistaken.

“You didn’t summon me,” Levi stated.

Asmo wanted to smack his brother. He had not spent this much time getting Grace relaxed and calm for Levi to make her feel guilty. Idiot.

“When it was happening I was afraid I would hurt you if I tried,” Grace answered.

“I’m sorry I left,” Levi apologized. 

Asmo could feel how badly Levi wanted to touch her. His brother wanted to feel that she was okay, and not damaged too badly by this.

“I’m not. What if I’d lost control while you were still in my mind?” Her voice shook. Grace stroked the cat’s fur one more time., then reached for Levi. He met her halfway, entwining his fingers with hers. “No, you did the right thing, leaving when I asked you to.” Levi didn’t look convinced but didn’t argue with her.

“Do we have to keep doing this outside?” Beel asked quietly. He stood far, and Asmo could see why. Beel was in his demon form, and his anger was barely concealed. As much as he wanted to get close, Asmo figured Beel didn’t want to frighten her. “She’s going to get cold.”

“And she’s exhausted,” Belphie added. He was the furthest away, sitting in the darkness under a tree. His favoured cow print pillow cushioning his back from its rough bark. His expression was much calmer than Beel’s. Did he not care? For all his big words about wanting Grace, shouldn’t this have caused some sort of reaction? “Do you want her to get sick?”

Grace now realized that everyone was here. She shuddered in Asmo’s arms. He kissed her temple and murmured. “Yes, they heard it all, and they are all still here. We are still here and not going anywhere, love.” She let out a shaky breath in response. Grace didn’t believe him, but she wasn’t arguing or fighting to get away so that was a win. Of course, not having a shred of energy to spare was more likely the reason than any growth in trust level, but Asmo would still take it.

The whole family drew closer now, though Belphie was wise enough to hang a little back. Lucifer rose to his feet and discussed with Satan the mystical ramifications of what just happened, while Mammon plunked himself down on the other side to Grace. He didn’t say anything, but it was obvious he needed to be near. Mammon also glared at the hand Asmo was holding. Nope. He was not surrendering it to Mammon either.

Grace seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep. The twins were right, this show really needed to be moved inside. Asmo watched as her eyelids slowly close, despite her fighting it every inch of the way. He had actually thought she was out when they snapped open. “Belphie is right!”

That statement stopped all talking mid-sentence.

“Of course I am,” he said with a grin.

“I think ya need to go back ta sleep, Grace,” Mammon said fondly. “Ya must have been dreaming cause he ain’t said shit since he asked about you getting sick.”

“That’s what he’s right about,” Grace said. “I need to get sick. So I can stay home tomorrow.”

“If you are ill than Lord Diavolo will send a healer to tend you,” Lucifer said. “We cannot lie about it.”

“Then we just need to make me sick,” Grace answered. “There are at least a dozen things in the house that can do it. I accidentally got into something I shouldn’t have.”

Satan shook his head. “Good idea, but it won’t work. Especially given the nature of your club. It would be suspicious if you accidentally made a mistake like that.”

Mammon looked thoughtful. “Wait, it could work.” Asmo could see he had worked out a way around the problem but didn’t like it. “It can be my fault. I brought her home something ta eat, and I wasn’t careful. Everyone thinks I’m stupid and careless. They would buy it.”

Grace tugged at Asmo’s hand, silently demanding that he free it. She reached for Mammon and cupped his face in her palm. “Look at me. They are wrong. I know that the Great Mammon takes excellent care of his human. You aren’t stupid and I might set fire to the next person who says it.” Her eyes swept the assembled demons, making sure they knew they were not exempt from her threat. Asmo smiled, even at the edge of exhaustion, she still tried to take care of those she cared about. If that wasn’t a form of love, he didn’t know what was. 

Belphie looked at Mammon, not oblivious to his older brother’s discomfort and obviously debating if he wanted to help. With a heavy sigh, Belphie offered, “Blame me. I’ve only been back a few days. It’s easy to say that I forgot to be careful about food and the resident human.”

Beel growled and crossed his arms. “No. There has to be a better option than poisoning Grace.”

“Beel, it was my idea,” she said quietly. “It’s okay.”

“I don’t care that it was your idea. This is not okay. This is not going to happen. We have to find a better option.” Beel’s jaw was stubbornly set, and Asmo could see that there was likely nothing that they could do to change his mind. “Levi! Why the hell are you not arguing against this?! Do you even know how to do your damn job?! You don’t deserve her.” 

Levi hissed, and the fact that Grace was squeezing his hand was probably the only thing that stopped him from standing toe to toe with Beel. “How dare-“

“ENOUGH!” Lucifer shouted, “Beel is right. No, while I appreciate how clever the deception Grace is proposing is, we are not putting her through that just to continue my subterfuge. She has suffered enough to keep up appearances this week, and I will ask no more of her.”

“One. You did not ask, I offered,” Grace said. She moved just enough that she could straighten a little and not be leaning entirely into Asmo’s arms. He imagined that she would have stood if she could have, but Grace knew that trying and failing would lessen the impact of her arguments. “Two, I would rather be throwing up then have to deal with my classes. Or even having you tell the truth and have another meeting with Lord Diavolo at this time. You do remember what happened the last time I encountered him when emotionally exhausted, right? Now imagine that with poorly controlled celestial magic.” She paused and let that sink in. “Three,” she shifted her gaze to Beel. “Thank you for your concern, but don’t you dare question his fitness to be my demon ever again in my hearing. I didn’t let them do it to you, and I sure as hell won’t tolerate that behaviour from you. Honestly, from experience, you should be the first to understand how hard it is to stop me from doing something I want.”

“I know that at least I tried,” Beel answered, glaring at Levi. “He didn’t even protest.”

Even Grace holding his hand wasn’t enough to stop Levi this time. He released her fingers and sprang to his feet. Before he had fully risen, Levi had already attained his demonic form. “You really want to have round two, right now?”

This had to stop. Now that the immediate crisis was over, Grace’s body was trying to shut down and make her take the rest she so desperately needed. Asmo could feel her shaking and he did not know if it was from the cooling air or the exhaustion. “I hate to interrupt, but we really do need to move this inside. She won’t have to fake an illness if we don’t.”

That was enough to stop them, or more likely, just stall the encounter. Both Beel and Levi looked down at Grace, and then at each other. Yes, definitely stall, since they seemed to communicate a silent time and place to reconvene. Mammon took off his jacket and tucked it around her. The cats slipped off her lap and distanced themselves. Asmo reluctantly let her go, so he could shift position and pick her up.

“I should probably argue about this,” Grace said. 

Asmo chuckled. “Save your strength, I think you’ve got a bigger battle yet to fight.”

“You mean about school tomorrow?” Grace asked.

“No, darling,” Asmo winced. Cutting out the pet names was going to be an uphill battle. Mammon led the way to the house and Asmo followed in his wake. “Figuring out who will guard your sleep tonight.”

“I’m very tempted to pass out in your arms on the way up the stairs and let them figure it out.” She glanced in the general direction of the demons following them. Then she sighed and looked ahead at Mammon. “I’m worried that will result in bloodshed. Is suppose me sleeping alone is out of the question?”

“Do you really want to?” Asmo asked.

“No, not really,” Grace admitted, then she lowered her voice. “I’m still afraid. What if I have a nightmare and get too scared? Will the magic do something?”

“We are afraid too, and that’s why we don’t want to let you out of our sight,” Asmo answered.

“Oh, were you planning on joining the battle royale for the right to be my body pillow?”Grace asked.

“No, I was planning on letting them all take each other out, and just stealing you.”

Grace laughed. It hurt him a little that she thought he was joking. There would be time to change that. Asmo just barely kept a frown from forming on his lips as remembered what he confessed to her about Lilith. He had thought there would be plenty of time in her case as well. 

“I offer my bed as neutral ground,” Asmo said as they reached the bottom of the staircase. “Anyone who behaves would be welcome, and anyone who makes you uncomfortable or disturbs your rest will be ejected.”

“No Belphie,” Grace whispered. “I don’t care if he’s worried. I can’t have him there. Not when I’m like this.”

“No Belphie,” Asmo agreed. Seeing the look on her face, he added, “Do not feel guilty for setting boundaries. Do not feel bad for doing what you need to do to feel safe. He made his choices and he is going to have to live with the consequences of them.”

All Grace said in reply was one word, “Beel.”

Asmo cradled her tighter against him. He could offer platitudes but she would recognize them for the false comfort they were.

Mammon stopped in front of her room. “Not in there. She’s staying in my room tonight," Asmo informed him.

“Hell she is!” Mammon shouted.

“Mammon,” Grace called. Her voice was quiet, and Mammon had to get close to hear her. “We are staying in his room tonight.”

“We?” he asked.

“You, me and Levi if he wants. Maybe Beel, and obviously Asmo, it is his room. I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want to fight You don’t have to if you don’t wanna.” The last sentence came out slightly mumbled.

Asmo found it amusing that Lucifer and Satan were not on the list, although he had not excluded them. Neither of them tended to demonstrate their affection for her in a physical way, so it probably never occurred to her that either would want to guard her sleep. Asmo was sure both would be willing, and would very much like to see the look on her face if she woke up with them included in a cuddle pile. Alas, they would likely be too busy trying to figure out how to prevent this from happening again and coming up with a plan to deal with tomorrow.

“I have to,” Mammon replied stubbornly. “Who else is going to make sure they keep their hands off of you?”

Grace’s lips quirked into a smile, but she said nothing.

No one else objected when Mammon opened the door to Asmo’s room for them. Likely because Levi was smart enough to know that his room was not adequately set up for this situation, and her bed was not big enough for multiple demons. Lucifer and Satan probably saw the logic in the solution.

Beel did not enter the room, he hung back at the door. There was a jealous look on his face, as he watched Levi open the sheets. Asmo set Grace down on the edge of the bed and stepped back to allow Mammon to unwrap his jacket from there body. 

“She wants you to stay,” Asmo said to Beel, coming to him at the door.

“Too angry,” Beel said. “At him.” Beel nodded toward Levi. “And at the world that did that to her. She wasn’t mine yet, but I still feel that I failed her.”

Belphie touched Beel's shoulder. “She’s ours now.”

Asmo wasn’t so sure that it wasn’t the other way around. Trembling in his arms, Asmo watched Grace offered to sacrifice her body and health for their schemes, reach to comfort Mammon, and be ready to fight with Beel for the sake of Levi. No, Asmo was certain that they were hers.

Satan joined them in the doorway. “Try to keep her awake for a few more minutes,” he asked. “I’m going to get a pair of potions that I think will make her more comfortable.”

Asmo grinned and made his way to the bed. He crawled up from the foot of it until he was lying next to her. “What do you say, Grace? Think I can keep you awake?” Asmo teased.

Grace’s eyes were half-closed. “Asmo, you’re good, but I’m not sure a parade with marching bands and elephants can keep me awake much longer.”

“Oh, so is that permission to try?” Asmo winked.

Mammon growled at him, but there was no actual threat in it.

Lucifer approached. He had been staying distant, holding himself a little apart from the rest, but now that Grace was settled in bed he came near to talk to her. “I want you to rest and sleep. Do not worry. I will take care of tomorrow Grace, and the days that come after as well.”

“Still think we should go with my idea,” Grace argued weakly.

“Forgive me if I don’t move forward with the plan conceived by the brilliant mind that probably couldn’t count to ten at the moment.” Lucifer smiled.

“Forgive me if I still think it's a better plan than the one proposed before it. Burning down the school sounds like a lot of work.”

“Not as much as you might think,” Mammon commented, the bed sinking with his weight. He had relieved himself the pretence of being human and most of his clothes as well. “There are a lot of us. Divide and conquer. Course Lucifer will be too busy delegating to actually do anything.”

Grace made a happy sound as one of Mammon’s wing’s brushed her skin. “Ooh, wings,” Grace giggled joyfully. “Note to self, no playing with the wings.”

“Mammon doesn’t like it when you play with his wings? Shame, you can play with mine anytime,” Asmo quipped.

“No, not allowed to start things I won’t finish,” Grace said with a yawn.

Satan returned with the potions, shouldering his way past both twins to reenter the room. Levi took them from his hands. His tail was still snaking around in an agitated fashion, likely his pride still wounded from Beel’s accusation that he was an unfit guardian for Grace. Levi had rid himself of his clothes as well and brought the potions with him as he joined Mammon and Grace under the covers. 

“This is rare,” Asmo commented. “I am the most clothed person on my bed. This will not do.” He slid back down the way he came, allowing Levi to get closer to Grace. Despite his words, he made no move to get undressed.

She was quiet and docile while Levi made sure she drank them down. Grace made a little face at the bitter taste of the second one. “That's it. I’m going to sleep. If you are going to fight, keep it down, and no property damage.” She leaned back into Mammon’s chest and closed her eyes.

Setting the empty bottles down on the bedside table, Levi nestled his body next to hers. 

“No,” Lucifer said. “There will be no fighting. Good night Grace.”

Seven voices wished her good night, but Asmo doubted that she heard them. Other than himself, anyone not on the bed left the room. Lucifer lingered in the doorway watching for a few extra minutes before he squared his shoulders and disappeared into the hall.

“Are ya getting in or what?” Mammon asked.

“I’m hungry,” Asmo lied. Something was nagging at him, and had been from the moment he saw both Mammon and Levi lying next to her. “I’m going to get something to eat. I’ll be back in a bit. Want me to bring something back?”

“Some water and crackers maybe,” Levi requested. “For when she wakes up.”

“Can do,” Asmo said brightly. “Enjoy your snuggles.”

Asmo turned off the light and closed the bedroom door. He walked down the hallway, remembering the cat’s words. What would Levi and Mammon have been doing in the dungeon this evening?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for some of the repeated info over the last few chapters. Each boy reacts in their own way to the news someone they care about has been hurt. Now its all out there and everyone knows . . . okay well not quite everything. Some demons don't know about the man in the dungeon... but definitely more know about him than Mammon, Levi and Satan think.


	65. Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mammon and Asmo's visits to Alexander in the dungeon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a chapter about torture, graphic emotional, psychological, physical and sexual torture. It is not pretty. It does not display our resident demons in a good light. If you do not wish to read it, please wait for next chapter and skip it and assume they did horrible things to this man and enjoyed every second of it.
> 
> I might be overstating it, but I do not want anyone to be upset or unprepared for the contents. 
> 
> Okay, you have been warned.

Alexander opened his eyes and blinked them. He tried to rub at them but his hands were tied tightly together. The room was dark, illuminated by the flickering of torches on the wall. He sat up and tried to figure out where he was or at least remember how he got here. Here, it seemed, was a square cell with a wall behind him, and bars to the other three sides. The stone floor beneath him was cold. It was that cold that made him painfully aware that he was naked.

As he shifted his hands back and forth trying to loosen the binding, his eyes looked past the bars at the rest of the room. It could not be real. It looked too much like something out of a horror movie. This had to be a nightmare. None of it could be real. He scrambled backward until his back scraped along the wall. 

The sound of his frantic scrambling drew the attrition of his capture. All Alexander could see was a tall winged figure silhouetted against the light from a fire glowing behind him. It slowly turned, its’ eyes glowing golden. 

“Awake, are we? Good. Almost ready to start.”

As the demonic figure drew closer, and Alexander could see his face, the events at the studio came back to him. A man named Mammon had wanted to meet before booking a shoot for his girlfriend. It was not the man he’d opened the door to but the monster he’d become that now stood on the other side of the bars. How could he have forgotten even briefly the creature that had healed from a bullet wound in seconds, grinning all the while?

The door to the cell was unlocked and the barred door swung open with only the slightest hint of a creak. He whimpered as the demon walked toward him. Alexander started to beg only for his words to be choked silent as a clawed hand wrapped around his throat pulling him to his feet. He was dragged to a coarse wooden table and tossed onto it as though he weighed nothing. 

A second time, the human started to try to bargain. One at a time each limb was secured into place, and when that was accomplished the demon walked menacingly to the head of the table. Again, the begging was halted as his tongue was pinched between two claws. His eyes widened in panic as blood dripped down his throat.

“Enough,” Mammon said softly, increasing the pressure every so slightly. “You have nothing left to bargain with. Your soul and your possessions are mine, for the low cost of me not killing you. The only thing I want to hear from you are screams. Don’t make me take your tongue so soon.” The demon released him, those terrible claws leaving nothing more than the lightest of scratches on the delicate muscle he used for speech.

Mammon crossed out of his line of sight. It was somehow more terrifying now that he could no longer see the demon. Alexander listened and absorbed every sound, his mind wondering which of the horrifying devices he saw hanging on the wall was being chosen. His imagination could not have prepared him for what was going to happen.

There was a thud as Mammon set down a heavy cauldron on the table. The intense heat radiating off was almost enough to burn the skin of the human’s hip. He opened his mouth to speak, but the demon tapped his claws on the table reminding him of what would happen if he did.

“I know greed ain’t why ya did it,” Mammon said, dipping a small ladle into the cauldron. He pulled it up and poured what looked to be molten gold back into the pot. “The money was just a bonus. A handy side effect of indulgin’ in your needs. Kinda clever, in a sick, twisted and perverted way.” 

As he spoke he just kept bringing up gold and pouring it, over and over again. Alexander started to tremble, dreading where this was going. He held his breath each time Mammon’s hand raised, terrified that he was going to spill it onto him, but Mammon seemed intent on talking. Please let him just keep talking. Maybe the metal would cool too much that he couldn’t do it.

“Ya know, I really wouldna give a shit most days. Humans do shitty things to each other all the time. Your soul? It’s ain’t no big prize. Wouldna been worth my time and effort.” Mammon didn’t even look at Alexander. He just watched how the light reflected off the liquid metal. “But, you did it to her. To MY human. You will pay. For every tear, every sleepless night. You owe me that.”

Now he turned and looked at human splayed helplessly before him. His eyes glowed brighter than the gold, and his smile showed fang. Caught in Mammon’s eyes, the human didn’t see the demon’s hand move or his wrist flick. He did feel the searing pain as the metal melted the skin from his left hand and charred the muscle underneath. Alexander screamed and Mammon’s smile grew wider, more vicious.

He left the mortal there, his cries of agony rebounding off the thick stone walls. Mammon returned with a wooden bucket filled with water and then left again, coming back with vials that glowed green from within. All the while, Alexander screamed himself hoarse, struggling with futile desperation against the bonds that held him.

Mammon watched Alexander’s face, as he poured cold water over the damaged hand. As terrible as the pain had been, it was so unimaginably worse when the cooling metal contracted to pull on his seared and tormented flesh. When he could no longer scream, he sobbed. The tears flowing down his cheeks bought him no pity from the watching demon.

The shackle imprisoning his left wrist was undone. Mammon cruelly jerked his arm up and held the managed remains of his hand in Alexander’s face. He tried to close his eyes, but he was not fast enough to avoid seeing glimpses of white bone peeking through where the muscle was charred black. On the back of his eyelids, he could still see blood and gold intertwined on the ruins of his hand.

“If I did that ta all of ya,” Mammon said softly as he looked at the results of his work. “You would be dead, and we do have a deal.” Mammon slammed Alexander’s arm down and roughly shackled it back into place. His throat raw and ragged, all Alexander could manage was a whimper. “I’ll honour the bargain I made.” Mammon uncorked the vial of glowing liquid and dumped it unceremoniously on his body. He rubbed it into his skin roughly. “So, I will cheat. You will burn and you will be marked. You will suffer but ya won’t die.”

Those words started the long slow process of Mammon precisely drizzling the metal onto his skin. Alexander had no concept of if there was a pattern or if his body was being used as a canvas for abstract art. His world shrank to only two things, the alternating pain of the lines of gold being painted onto him, and the equally agonizing torment of the water cooling the metal.

The sizzling sound his skin made when the metal dripped into on to it. The way his body smelled while his flesh cooked. Every sense was overwhelmed, leaving Alexander incapable of coherent thought.

Alexander almost lost consciousness once, only to be struck by Mammon repeatedly in the face. The human had trouble focussing and Mammon grabbed him by the hair, tilting his head to make eye contact. “No. Not yet.” Mammon’s words were almost incomprehensible they were so close to a growl. “We are not even close to done.”

Time lost all meaning, but eventually, the torment stopped. It took Alexander a moment to process. It was not that he was free of pain, but the cycle of heat and cold was broken. He blinked and weakly turned his head to look for Mammon. Mammon was standing near the entrance. He seemed to be talking to someone, but Alexander could not see who. It could be a monkey for all he cared, as long as they kept Mammon busy and extend his respite.

He closed his eyes and without Mammon to stop him, Alexander lost consciousness.

That blessing did not last long.

Someone touched him. The touch was so light as to be almost nothing more than a breeze touching his body. It still hurt and he whimpered as he opened his eyes. He expected to see Mammon’s glowing eyes, and eager grin, but it was a stranger looking down on him. Curious eyes that were an inhuman shade of red with highlights yellow looked down at him. He looked gentler than Mammon, with softer features and peach coloured hair, but Alexander no longer trusted appearances.

“Now what do we have here?” the stranger said, his eyes following the path his fingers were tracing along the cooled gold. “This is definitely Mammon’s handiwork.”

It took three tries but Alexander finally managed to croak out the word, “Please.”

“Please?” he repeated. “I’m afraid you will have to be more specific than that.”

“Please… Help.” His throat was raw from the time spent screaming, and it took great effort to force them out.

“I can be very helpful when I choose to be,” his voice sounded kind. “Let’s see. I think I will help you. At the very least, I’ll help you out of these awful restraints.”

It seemed too good to be true. Alexander’s restraints were removed and he was soon sitting up. The stranger even offered him a cup of water. The human’s hand shook as held the dented metal cup. 

“Now, then drink. Drink it all. Let’s see if we can get that voice of yours working.”

Finishing the water, his throat felt better, and he was able to utter the words thank you without too much trouble.

“I’m guessing that you would be, Alexander, correct?” 

The human nodded. Was there ever going to be a motion that didn’t hurt?

“My name is Asmodeus, and I have been ever so interested in meeting you. It is quite a pleasant surprise to find you wrapped up with a bow in my home.” His smile shifted from kind to cruel in a space of a heartbeat. “I hear you are a photographer, and by quite the coincidence, I am too. Not professional, but I’ve got quite the following online. I’ve heard you did too.” Asmo took the cup from his hand. “I’d like to take your picture.”

Alexander shook his head mutely. 

“Oh. I wasn’t asking. You didn’t always ask, did you? Baby.” Asmo reached out and traced one of the patterns on his skin. “Honey?” He traced another. “Darling?”

It was then Alexander realized what Mammon had done. Etched on his flesh were the endearments he had used, that he had counselled others to use so that they would not accidentally use the wrong given name for a woman. The cup slipped from his now shaking hands, clattering to the floor.

“Let’s start with the basics, shall we?” Asmo withdrew something from his pocket, something that looked like a phone. “Give me a pretty smile.”

Alexander shook his head mutely. 

“Are you really sure that you want to do things the hard way?” Asmo asked, shedding his human guise. Two sets of bat-like wings unfurled from his back and a pair of black horns tipped with pink emerged from his hair. His painted fingernails became claws and his smile showed a hint of fang. “Perhaps this might go better if I gave you my full name. I am, Asmodeus, once known as the Jewel of the Heavens, but now I carry the title of Avatar of Lust. You know lust, don’t you? You know the things lust can make you do.”

Alexander paled as the demon leaned in closer. 

Asmo’s voice softened to whisper and continued in a tone more suited to a bedroom than a dungeon. “I can make you want me. I can make you need me. I can make you incapable of thinking of anything other than pleasing me.”

Even broken as his body was, Alexander could still feel a stirring within him. Something familiar, yet totally foreign to him, as he had never felt drawn to another man that way before. He found himself staring into Asmodeus’ eyes being drawn deeper into them. His breath quickened and his heart beat faster. 

Asmo leaned in as though to kiss the mortal, and Alexander lifted his face eager for it. At the last second, Asmo stopped and chuckled. He snapped his fingers and the effect was gone. “I can make you want it, but I won’t. You don’t deserve to take any pleasure in this experience. Now smile for me, baby,” he paused, leaving the emphasis on the pet name. “Or what Mammon did to you will feel like a day at the spa.”

Alexander complied, unable to bear the thought of more pain. The first requests were easy ones. He was instructed to smile, to run the fingers of his uninjured hand through his hair. Asmo would encourage him in a kind voice, praising Alexander when he did well. The demon never once used his name, only uttered generic endearments.

The requests that came next were not so innocent. Alexander balked when Asmo first asked him to touch himself for the camera. 

Asmo pursed his lips, “Didn’t you ask all your- what was it you called them, again? Oh right, you whales-“ Asmo’s disapproval of the term was evident even with the soft tone he was using. “You asked all of them to do that for you, right?”

Yes, it was true. He had persuaded them with gentle and encouraging words. He had told them that they were beautiful, even when the words were a lie. Alexander had taken satisfaction in watching each girl's resistance to the idea crumble. Some had only needed the words and time. Others he had threatened to break it off if they didn’t love him enough to do it. 

“Touch yourself,” the demon commanded again. “Or would you like to know what it feels like to have that gold ripped from where it has set in your skin?”

Ashamed, Alexander reached down with his whole hand and did as he asked. The motion was stilted and awkward, and Alexander couldn’t look at the camera.

“Not like that,” Asmo said in disappointment. “Touch yourself like you are alone in the shower, and in your mind, you are with the unattainable woman of your dreams. If you don’t give me the shots I want, we will have to start over. That would make me angry, because there is a beautiful woman in my bed, and I’d really like to get back to her.”

Alexander screwed his eyes shut and tried again.

Asmo demanded more and more of him as time passed. More poses. More positions. Demanding that he do for the camera almost everything he asked the women to do. It turned out there was more than just torture implements to be found in this dungeon, though the sex toys Asmo brought out did not bring Alexander any pleasure at all. Through it all, Asmodeus never touched him. He stayed behind his camera the entire time, directing the action but never being a part of it. 

Almost worse than the acts Alexander did, was the continued way Asmo praised him when he performed well. Darling. Sweetheart. Baby. Honey. Cutie. Oh, he was started to loathe the sound of those words. They were becoming associated with the humiliation and degradation he was enduring.

“Oh, look at the time,” Asmo said. “I was supposed to bring her a snack. I should be going.”

For the first time since the demon had pulled the phone from his pocket, Asmo touched the sweating exhausted human. He tilted Alexander’s chin and looked down into his eyes. 

“Do you know what I’m going to do with these? I am going to have my brother replace all but the thumbnails of the women on your website with images of you.”

Alexander went pale and felt bile rise in his throat. He mutely shook his head, a look of fresh terror in his eyes.

“Why not? You were fine being on camera when you were fucking them, right? You had no problem if it was your tiny dick being sucked. Why should this bother you?” Asmo chuckled. He patted the human on the cheek. “Don’t worry. I told you, I’m a pretty decent photographer. You look good and even with Mammon’s-“ he paused and searched for the right word. “Embellishments, I’m sure that your followers will recognize you.”

Laughing, Asmodeus picked him up and carried Alexander to the cell. “Best keep you from wandering. Some of my brothers are not going to be as gentle with you as I was.” Despite using the word gentle, Asmo dumped him unceremoniously onto the cold stone floor. 

Asmodeus’ laughter faded and Alexander was left alone in the dark to ponder what was said and how it made him feel. People were going to see everything. He felt violated. He felt humiliated and ashamed, but even as he felt those things, he still could not connect how he felt to how the women felt. It just didn’t occur to him.

It wasn’t until after the reality of the situation finally dawned on him, that he realized that Asmo had said, brothers. That meant that there was more than just Mammon, and in that isolating darkness, he started to fear what else was in store for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for long absence. I personally hate having this much of a delay between updates. 
> 
> In addition to one of my migraine clusters, this one was a hard one to write. As much as I love how soft and fluffy our boys can be, this is a reminder that they are demons. I knew exactly what was going to happen but actually committing the words to the screen was tough. 
> 
> Luckily I have a slightly soft mini chapter planned before Belphie and Beel get in on the action.


	66. Lessons in Sharing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mammon and Levi aren't as good at sharing as they seemed.

Mammon had wanted to hold Grace again but this was definitely not how he had pictured it. He couldn’t have imagined that it would be in Asmo’s bed with Levi laying just on the other side of her. In theory, he understood why she wanted Levi to be here. That didn’t mean he had to like it and it sure hadn’t stopped him from draping a wing over her possessively. 

Grace was nestled into his body in the same way that she had been when they shared the hotel room. She was the small spoon to his big spoon. There were differences. Grace was curled into a smaller ball then that night, with one arm tucked protectively over her chest. Her other arm was stretched out, her hand resting on top of Levi’s, and one of her legs was stretched out so that she was in contact with him. Mammon tried to focus on the important part, and that was that she was totally tucked into his body, nestled where he could keep her safe.

Except he couldn’t keep her safe, could he? The things threatening her right now weren’t things he could fight. Mammon could torment the man in the dungeon night after night but he couldn’t protect her from the memories. And the magic stuff? That was not his area of expertise. He couldn’t even support her like Levi was doing. They didn’t have that kind of connection. Feeling powerless, Mammon tightened his arm around her waist tugging Grace a little closer to his body, and not coincidentally a little bit further from Levi.

She didn’t react, and that worried Mammon. Grace was far too still for his liking. Her features were expressionless and her eyelid’s barely fluttered. There was no fidgeting, she just laid almost motionless and heavy in his arms, almost as lifeless as one of the homunculi from PE class. Had Satan misjudged the dosage for the potions?

Levi turned his head and rolled his eyes at Mammon, not oblivious to her shifted position. He sighed loudly but didn’t say anything. In fact, neither of them had said a word since Asmo had left. Even though the weight of their combined worry was almost a physical presence in the room, neither wanted to talk about it.

Eventually, it dawned on Mammon that Asmo had been gone a suspiciously long time. Exactly how long, he had no way of knowing, since his DDD was in his clothes and they were in a pile on the floor. Levi kept glancing toward the door, which suggested that his mind was following a similar train of thought.

“Maybe he’s not coming back?” Levi said, breaking the silence. Even though his voice was quiet, Levi looked to Grace to see if she reacted.

Mammon snorted, “Not bloody likely. The only time she’ll likely ever be in his bed, ya think he’s gonna miss this?”

“If he isn’t coming back, one of us should get some stuff for the morning. Like comfortable clothes for her to wear, and some food and water.” Levi looked at Mammon.

“Good idea,” Mammon agreed. “Why don’t ya go do that?”

“Why don’t you?” Levi countered.

“And risk disturbing her?” Mammon said with a sly smile on his lips. “Never. She’s barely touching you and won’t even notice you’re missing.”

“She’s my mistress. I really should be here in case she needs me,” Levi answered.

“That’s right, if she needs ya she can summon ya,” Mammon replied. The look on Levi’s face made him wish he could take back the words. She hadn’t summoned Levi when she needed him. Mammon tried to recover, “Sides, don’t you want your DDD for yer games?”

It was a failure.

“You think my games are more important than being here if she needs me?” Levi hissed.

A piercing whistle from the door interrupted any reply Mammon might have made. Asmo had arrived. He was carrying a tray, and staring at the bed with a disapproving look on his face.

After glancing at Grace to see if Asmo had disturbed her, Levi snapped, “Are you trying to wake her?”

Asmo walked into his room and set the tray down with a thump the bedside table nearest Levi. “I talked to Satan, and told me that he sedated her so heavily that almost nothing should wake her. He’s hoping to minimize the mystical backlash from tonight by shutting her brain down as much as possible. Good thing too, else she’d probably have woken to you two just about coming to blows in my bed. None of that without safety words.”

Levi and Mammon exchanged a guilty look.

“You have to be smarter than this,” Asmo said with a serious expression. “Or tomorrow is going to go very badly. Do you for one second think she would have agreed to any of this-“ He gestured to the bed, then continued, “if she hadn’t been so scared and desperate? What do you think is going to happen tomorrow?”

Mammon nodded, knowing where he was going with this. He remembered the morning in the hotel, and how she had said her piece before shutting herself in the bathroom and ending any chance at continued conversation. Grace had hidden that vulnerability she’d shown him as soon as she could. “She’s gonna push us away.”

Asmo nodded. “Grace is going to try to put up those walls and shove us back on the other side of them, and right now it looks like you two idiots are going to give her the perfect excuse.”

Mammon didn’t like it, but Asmo was right. Shit, he was right. Mammon wasn’t the most observant, but even he knew could see how much she hated it when they fought, and it was worse when she thought she was the cause of the fight.

Asmo circled the bed and set two bottles of water on the table near Mammon. “I promised her neutral ground. I will kick one of you out if I need to.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Mammon challenged, glancing over his shoulder at Asmo. “I don’t think you could take me on your best day.”

“I don’t need to be able to take you,” Asmo replied. He walked to the bottom of the bed and crawled up, settling himself temporarily near her feet. “I just need to be smarter than you, and I was just made that way.”

“Now who is starting fights in bed?” Levi asked, snaking his tail around the leg Grace was touching him with. Mammon wasn’t sure if it was a reaction to the threat to make one of them leave, or just a need to have more contact with Grace because Asmo was on the bed.

“Not starting a fight,” Asmo clarified, looking up at both his brothers. “Just making a point. I take it that you’d both like Lucifer to continue to be unaware of the guest in the dungeon.” He smirked up at both of his brothers. “What did you think I was making a four-course meal or something? Play nice, keep her comfortable, and if I say out, one of you leaves. Or, I will let Lucifer know what I found downstairs. Got it?” Asmo grinned and didn’t wait for an answer. “I’m going to take a shower, and there will be room in my bed for me when I get back.” 

Mammon glared at his younger brother, “What the hell you talkin’ about? There’s room for the whole Fangol team in this bed.”

“Only the starting line-up,” Asmo corrected, sliding back off the bed.

“Asmo, she’s my mistress, so if anyone has to leave, it should be Mammon,” Levi said, glancing over at the second eldest.

“Fuck you, Levi,” Mammon retorted.

“Last warning,” Asmo cautioned, as he stopped and retrieved Levi’s DDD from the pile of clothes. He tossed it on the bed. “You’ve got a message from Lucifer detailing tomorrow’s plan, and many, many photos from me. I think our guest’s website needs an update.” Asmo chuckled as he disappeared into the bathroom.

“It was supposed to be my turn next,” Levi grumbled, reaching for his device.

“You could go now,” Mammon suggested, helpfully. “Sounds like Grace isn’t going to be awake anytime soon. You could spend a couple hours away and she’d never know the difference.”

“You are not getting rid of me that easy Mammon,” Levi answered. “I’m right where I’m supposed to be.” 

Mammon had known that would be the answer, but it hadn’t hurt to plant the idea. He closed his eyes, and adjusted his position slightly, pulling the sheet a little higher.

Levi whistled as he scrolled through the photos. “Damn.”

Mammon opened his eyes again, curious. “Let me see.”

Levi moved so that they could both see the screen. Grace slept on, blissfully unaware of what her protectors were up to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really felt this needed to be addressed since they behaved so nicely while tucking her in. Greed and Envy... lol
> 
> Now, to make Belphie be quiet. Yes, we can get to your part now. SHHHH...


	67. Clean Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belphie's turn at the man in the dungeon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Torture section. Same warning as before. Though this is more on the psychological end of the spectrum, if this topic makes you uncomfortable assume Belphie did horrible shit, took pleasure in it and skip the chapter.

Belphie was about to give up on the notion of sleep entirely. Beel was restless in his slumber, even after snacking, working out and then snacking again. Belphie could feel both the hunger and the anger still gnawing at his twin. Beel had known that Grace had given birth at some point in her life, the taste of her had told him that much, but everything about the human Alexander, that had come as a surprise.

Neither of those facts had been a surprise to Belphie. Both subjects were things that Grace frequently had relived in her dreams and nightmare before Belphie had started tampering. Belphie had told Beel in the attic that he knew secrets about Grace but had never gotten to the point of revealing them. He was glad now that circumstances had made it so he’d not had the time. It would have driven a wedge between them, and that was no longer his goal. No, it was good that Beel had heard it from her own lips, as painful as it had been for his twin to bear.

Belphie rolled over yet again. It was ridiculous that the Avatar of Sloth was the only one in the house not sleeping. Even Lucifer had finally allowed himself a couple of hours to rest before he would be inevitably summoned to deal with the crisis he had engineered to close the school. Out of boredom, he cast his mind about checking in on his siblings and Grace.

Belphie opened his eyes. That was interesting. As he had lightly touched on each mind in the house, Belphie had discovered an unexpected surprise in the dungeon. A human and it was a human he was quite familiar with. How interesting that the rest of the family had not been informed of his presence.

“Don’t worry,” Belphie said softly to Beel, as he climbed out of the bed. “I won’t let you miss out on all the fun.”

He quietly made his way down to the dungeon where the human was passed out locked in a cell. Given the faint shimmer of gold that reflected off the human’s skin in the flickering torchlight, Belphie had a clear idea who had brought him here. 

Belphie had mixed feelings about this human. To a certain extent, he understood the man. The way this Alexander treated women was much like how Belphie had treated humans as a whole, disposable and inferior. Was being able to see that parallel going to buy the man in the cell any mercy? No.

Belphie looked at the man and thought about what he wanted to do. As he weighed his options, he walked to the wall and chose a random implement of pain. It was heavy in his hands as he made his way back to the cell, a smile on his lips. Belphie ran the branding iron back and forth along the bars to wake the prisoner up. 

Alexander’s eyes flew open, and his body was in motion even before that action was completed, sliding backward away from the front-facing bars of the cell.

Belphie’s grin grew as he listened to the incoherent whine that passed through the man's lips. Once more he ran the tool along the bars, and he took the time to enjoy the way the human grasped his ears and cowered. There was a screech of pain as Alexander involuntarily tried to curl the fingers on his damaged hand. 

He chuckled and stepped away, putting the tool neatly where it belonged. Belphie opened a cabinet and withdrew a healing potion from its shelves and slowly walked back toward the cell. “Hello, Alexander,” he greeted.

“Are you…are you one of them?” the human stammered. 

“Yes,” Belphie answered. “I thought this form would be more comfortable for you.”

“Please…please don’t-“ Alexander whispered.

“Hurt you?” Belphie laughed. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“You’re…not?” Alexander asked, there was a tiny glimmer of hope in his eye, but his voice was skeptical.

“No, I’m not going to lay a hand on you, not one finger.” Of course, Belphie didn’t need to touch him to cause him torment. The human didn’t know that.

“Why?”

“Do you understand why you are here?” Belphie answered the question with a question. 

“Because of what I did to those women?” Alexander did not seem certain in his answer.

“Not exactly. We only care about what you did to one woman. Just one. Grace.” Belphie unlocked the cell door and opened it. He set the potion down on the ground and backed away. Belphie sat down on the edge of the table that Alexander had so recently been strapped to. “You were with her for how many months? Eight, right?”

The human in the cell cautiously nodded, his eyes sliding between the glowing bottle on the ground, the open door and the demon sitting casually on the table. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t move.

“She’s lived with us for less than four months, and she has in that time become very precious to us. All seven of us.” Belphie swung his feet a little and turned his eyes back to Alexander. “You have any idea how fucked up you must be to have not found anything to love in her when seven literal demons cherish her?”

Alexander swallowed and paled. Unfortunately, he seemed to miss the point. “Seven?”

Belphie rolled his eyes. Not hitting him was going to be harder than he thought. “Yes, I have six brothers, and they are all going to want a turn.”

“But…not you?” 

“Oh, I want to hurt you, but here’s the thing. Grace doesn’t like me very much and this whole dungeon thing-“ Belphie gestured to the room. “It’s going to piss her off. No matter what you did to her, she wouldn’t want this. So, I’m going to keep my hands clean. I’m going to be able to say I never touched you. That I had nothing to do with keeping you imprisoned. So when she finds out, and Grace is pretty clever, she is going to find out, I hope that some of my siblings will take my place on her shit list.”

“You are going to let me go?” Alexander asked.

“I’m going to sit here and not move,” Belphie answered. “What you do next is up to you.”

Belphie watched and waited to see what the human would do. He could see the fear and the desire for freedom warring on his features. Alexander wanted to be free but didn’t trust the opportunity in front of him. So, the human wasn’t entirely a moron after all.

However, he would take the bait. That was a foregone conclusion. Alexander was a coward, but the thought of four more demons taking out their frustration on his flesh would be more than enough to prompt him to at least attempt escape. Belphie just needed to be patient and listen to the hamster wheel in the mortal’s tiny brain squeak.

Slowly, Alexander rose to his feet, using the wall for support. He stood there, unsteady on his feet for a moment, his eyes staring at the potion vial Belphie had provided. Alexander took one shaky step after another, his eyes now of Belphie who was just sitting and watching. Alexander chose not to risk the potion, and Belphie shrugged, if the human didn’t want the edge the extra healing would give him, it was his loss.

Alexander paused at the entrance to the cell, his good hand holding onto one of the bars for support.

Belphie sighed. “I wouldn’t waste time if I were you. They could come for you at any minute, and while I said I wouldn’t raise a hand to hurt you that doesn’t mean I’ll raise one to help you either.”

Speaking of any minute, it was time to wake Beel. He was still restless, so it was easy. No words passed between them, the communication was deeper than that, more profound. Beel would know where to come, and that there was something to be excited about. It was hard to hold in his chuckle, as he felt his twin rise from the bed.

Alexander gathered his courage and stepped from the cell, all the while looking at Belphie as though he was a serpent about to strike. When the demon did not move, Alexander took a second cautious step and then a third. Belphie did not move, in fact, he looked unconcerned by the human's actions entirely. That lack of action made him bold, and his steps gained in confidence as he slowly made his way across the large dungeon toward the door. 

Belphie’s grin returned. Now it was his time to play.

The closer Alexander got to the door, the more tired he became. His feet started to drag, and his movement slowed. Step by step, achieving the freedom that the door offered became more and more difficult. Eventually, the human sank to his knees. 

“Are you giving up?” Belphie asked, jumping down from his perch on the table. “Disappointing.”

Alexander shook his head and started crawling on his knees, using only his good hand.

Belphie followed him, always just a little behind, enjoying watching the human struggle. “You might want to hurry. You never know who is going to come down those stairs. Satan, the avatar of wrath? I think there would be no subtly to what he would do to you. He would gladly break you, heal you and then break you again. Leviathan? He’s envy, and you’ve tasted pleasures he’s not known. I know he’s going to want to take it out of your hide in ways you can’t even begin to imagine.”

Alexander no longer had the energy to stay on his knees. He was flat on the stone floor. The human weakly lifted his head at looked at the exit that was so close, yet impossibly far.

“But you know who you should fear the most?” Belphie said, crouching down to whisper into the human’s ear. “My twin. Beelzebub. Grace is very special to him. He spent months trying to get close to her, and for every small step forward he made she always pushed him back. And now he knows why. You, and the things you did to her.”

Alexander tried. Belphegor had to give him credit for trying. The human tried to drag himself forward. He used both hands, howling with pain as he dragged himself inches forward. The stone ripped at the already burned skin on his body, tearing at the gold crusted wounds. Belphie could smell fresh blood in the air.

Belphie could feel that Beel was nearly here. It really was no hardship not to lay a finger on this wretch when he would be able to vicariously enjoy every second of what his twin was going to do. Belphie rose to his feet and walked to the entrance, and leaned against the wall. He watched the human frantically fight to close the gap, all the while knowing that the human’s struggles were futile. 

Beel ducked a little to step through the doorway and looked at the human on the floor. His eyes then sought out Belphie for an explanation.

“Alexander, I’d like you to meet my brother Beel.” Belphie turned and smiled at his twin. “He’s all yours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original plan was to move straight into Beel's time, but that felt like a pretty good break and you get an update sooner rather than later.


	68. Peice by Peice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beel meets Alexander

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last of this kind of torture. After this I go back to just emotionally tormenting all the characters in my normal fashion. I promise.
> 
> This is brutal and bloody. Beel is not gentle. Beel is in a state of rage. If you wish to skip please do so.
> 
> You have been warned.

Beel’s slumber was not peaceful. He had been tossing and turning and had just begun to slip into a nightmare when he felt Belphie’s call. He opened his eyes, Belphie not being by his side explained why the nightmare had come. Beel wondered what could be so important to both draw his twin from the bed, and to cause him to wake Beel. Especially since Belphie had cheated in the first place to get him to sleep.

Beel had been too angry, too frustrated to want to surrender to slumber. Things kept going from bad to worse, and Grace kept getting stuck in the middle of it all. She’s been in rough enough shape after the weekend’s attempt on her life and discovering she wasn’t human. Now, now he wasn’t even sure she was going to recover from tonight and he felt powerless to do anything about it. Because Beel was fighting his own battles.

There were two holes in him. The hunger, that was a familiar foe, a gaping pit within him that constantly cried out to be filled. No matter what he did, it could only be dulled, never truly sated. The second hole was the place where Grace’s soul had lived in him. It was a jagged hole, and it felt like breathing alone made it cut him.

He had not noticed until after his pact with Grace had been stolen, how much her presence in his life had diminished that hunger. How little by little that he had been able to lie in bed longer on mornings they were together, or that he had been less tempted to inhale the ingredients when they cooked together. But, now that their bond was gone, it had returned in full force, and it was being driven to new heights by the anger within him.

Beel seemed to always be on edge and angry. He was angry at Leviathan, not just for defeating him, but for in his opinion not taking good care of her. He was furious at Satan for finding that stupid ritual in the first place and putting that idea in her head. Mammon, there were too many reasons to count that he was angry at Mammon. None of his siblings were exempt from some part of the blame, and all contributed to the way his blood seemed to always be on the verge of boiling.

Harder to bear than the rage he felt for most of his siblings were the complex mix of emotions he shared with his twin. How love and hate could exist so intertwined was a mystery? No, he had not completely forgiven Belphie for his assault on Grace, but on the other hand, how could he continue to hate the other half of his soul?

The worst of his anger was reserved for himself. For the signs, he hadn’t seen, and his failure to protect her. Even more, he despised himself for the desires that haunted his nightmares, nightmares only Belphie’s presence could quell. Ever since he tasted her blood on his lips after his defeat, a part of him craved more. A feral part of him wanted to fill the void left behind by her soul with the taste of her flesh.

Beel closed his eyes and repressed the thought and banished it to the back of his mind. It would never happen. He would never let it happen. Instead of dwelling on the remnants of the nightmare, and the forbidden fruit in it, Beele focused instead on what he was feeling from Belphie.

He slid out of the bed. It wasn’t an emergency, but there was a feeling of urgency to Belphie’s call. His twin was feeling amused, and it was flavoured by cruelty. Even stranger was that Beel could sense Belphie was in the dungeon. Beel hastened his steps, curiosity driving him to move faster. What or who had his brother found in the dungeon?

Beel could not have predicted the answer to that question. He stood in the doorway and looked from Belphie to the bleeding mess crawling toward him and shook his head. He could not have heard Belphie right. That was Alexander? The one that had broken Grace’s heart and almost her spirit?

It took no more than two of his long strides to bring him to the mortal. Beel lifted him easily with one large hand gripping the human’s skull. Alexander dangled in the air, suspended only by that one hand, as Beel looked closer at him. Beel didn’t know what he had been picturing, but this wasn’t it. Bigger? Better looking? Maybe he had expected him to look monstrous in some way, but the human was disappointedly average.

“Are you sure?” Beel asked Belphie, turning his head to seek out his twin’s eyes.

Belphie nodded. “I’m sure.”

Beel turned his attention back on the mortal who was making panicked prey noises. He was about to ask how the human got here, but the answer was obvious. Three of his brothers had travelled to the mortal realm today, and there were blood and gold mingled on Alexander’s chest.

A pleased growl left Beel’s throat. Finally, there was a target for his anger, his frustration and his rage that deserved it. Beel’s eyes started to glow, the pink overtaking the violet and he smiled at the squirming man.

“He’s yours to do as you please with, but remember she will not like it,” Belphie cautioned.

Though his twin spoke the words, Beel could feel how eager Belphie was for him to begin. Belphie wanted Beel to indulge in this. “Will you tell her?” Beel asked.

“I would volunteer nothing and if asked I would only say that you put him out of his misery, and nothing more,” Belphie answered. The Avatar of Sloth stepped close and continued to speak softly in his brother’s ear. “She was your mistress first, and you deserve to be the one give him the torment he richly deserves. You witnessed first hand the mark his crimes left on her, and you too have suffered at his hands.”

Beel’s eyes travelled down to the mortal’s body to those hands. Hands that touched her first. Hands that wrote those foul words that cut her soul and left her scarred on the inside on the internet. His own fingers clenched and applied more pressure to Alexander’s skull and Beel only narrowly avoided cracking it.

No, Grace would not be pleased. Beel knew that but still carried his squirming victim to the table anyway. Blood trickled down the human’s face from where Beel’s claws punctured his skin. He opened his hand and watched Alexander fall roughly to the table. “Do you know?” Beel looked down at the trembling human and tried to choke back the animalistic growls and roars that threatened to emerge from his throat. “Do you really understand what you have done?”

Beel didn’t have to see Belphie to know that he was finding himself a better position from which to watch. He could taste his brother’s anticipation.

Beel grabbed Alexander's wrist and raised the mortal’s hand from the table. “Take these hands. Do you know what these hands, these fingers have done?” Beel grasped one digit between his thumb and forefinger. “Because of these, she doesn’t let anyone touch her.” Beel move was a swift as a scorpion strike and just as dangerous. The finger broke with an audible snap, and that sound was quickly followed by a scream that hid the cracking of the next four fingers. Beel was vicious enough with the last twist that the finger tore completely free. He dangled the finger in Alexander’s face and then let it drop. It bounced off the human’s forehead and fell to the floor.

The human’s eyes rolled back into his head at the sight and he almost passed out. Almost, and Beel knew from Belphie’s chuckle that there would be no escape for Alexander in any way. He would stay conscious for everything Beel did to his body, Belphie would make sure of that.

“Do you know how long it was before she would be comfortable letting me touch her arm? Her hair? Before she would let me cup her face in my hands? No. You don’t!” He growled and slammed a fist on the table, shaking it. Beel shook his head, disgusted. “And you don’t care, do you? Not even now. Now all you care about it making your own pain stop.”

Beel laid his hand atop Alexander’s other hand, the one that Mammon had made a nightmarish claw of. “These hands never deserved to touch her in the first place.”

Beel raised his hand curled it into a fist and then smashed it down pulverizing the human’s hand. The scream it coaxed from Alexander was disappointing, but the tears that flowed freely down the human’s face almost made up for it. Almost. Beel looked down at his prey and wondered what the first screams had sounded like. The ones that Alexander would have made for Mammon. Beel’s anger surged again, as he felt insulted and cheated by being left in the dark by his siblings. No matter. There would be nothing left of this human when Beel was done with him. He would take everything from him bit by bit.

Since his screams were so pitiful and any begging for mercy would fall on deaf ears, Feel ripped the tongue from his throat. “It only spoke lies anyway, and I don’t want to hear them.”

While Alexander gurgled, his mouth filling with blood, Beel pondered what to take next. “Your lips, I think. They sinned too. You kissed her falsely with these. You whispered sweet lies to her for months. You don’t deserve to keep them.” His claws easily separated their soft flesh from his face. Alexander gurgled as he tried to breathe, and Beel hoped he wouldn’t drown in his own blood before he was done.

Eyes or ears? Beel debated it silently as he reached down and turned Alexander’s head to the side, allowing the blood to run from his mouth. Both would go eventually, but what to take first? Beel roughly turned Alexander’s face, and he could see his reflection in the terrified mortal's eyes. Yes, the eyes. The ears could wait. Beel wanted the man to hear his voice, and know why each part of him was being taken from him.

“She will never look at me the way she looked at you,” Beel said, bringing his claws once more toward the human’s face. “I hate you for that. For stealing the tender glances that should have been mine. For making her scared to be that open with anyone.” With care not to pop the fluid-filled orb, Beel slipped his claws around his eye and pulled it from the socket. He held it in his hand, and for the first time since he had begun dismantling the human, his hunger made itself known.

At first, he hadn’t wanted to sully himself. You only ate foes that had something you wanted. Knowledge. Strength. Power. The pathetic wretch had none of those. But as he stared at the bloody orb in his hand Beel realized that there was something that Alexander had that he wanted after all. He wanted to see the way she looked when she was unafraid of herself, and how she felt. Beel wanted to see the way her eyes had looked at him, this man she had professed to love. Beel could have that and more if he ate the morsel resting in his hand.

Before he could pop it in his mouth, it was struck from his grasp. He growled at his brother, who took it one step farther and crushed the fallen eye with his foot, squishing it on the dungeon floor. “Why?”

Belphie bore the Beel’s heated gaze and threatening tone without flinching. “No,” he said firmly. Beel growled a challenge, but Belphie held his ground. “No,” he repeated. “Do you really want any part of him resting in you where you keep a part of her?”

That thought stopped Beel in his track, shocking him silent. No. Nothing of Alexander should ever touch her again. Ever.

Belphie’s voice turned softer, and he took a step closer. He reached up and cupped Beel’s face with his hand. “You don’t need his memories of her. She will look at you that way someday. I know she will. It just will take time.”

“She’s mortal,” Beel whispered. “She doesn’t have as much time as we do.”

Belphie frowned. He could not argue that point. Belphie’s eyes looked at the managed body on the table. “Then make him pay for stealing what he did.” He turned Beel’s head to the body on the table and slowly pulled his fingers away from his twin’s face.

All finesse disappeared as Beel went back to work on Alexander’s body. Chunks of flesh were peeled away by claws, and soon the scent of blood was overwhelming. Beel allowed himself to release the rage that he had been suppressing.

Still breathing, but only barely, Alexander was bleeding out on the table in front of him. Beel raised his claws, planning to make one final strike across his throat. Words tumbled from Beel’s lips and tears slipped from his eyes, both actions without conscious thought. “Killing you once isn’t enough. Not for what you stole from me. Because of you, she was afraid. Of herself. Of me. Afraid to LOVE ME BACK!”

His hand paused mid-swing. Beel had not even admitted the feeling to himself, let alone spoken the word aloud before. He started to tremble, and he felt a hand on his shoulder. It took a second to realize that it was not Belphie’s. His twin was still in his sight.

The rage he was feeling started to diminish, being gently drawn away. Beel heard Satan’s voice at his ear. “May I have the final blow?”

For the first time since the duel had torn him apart, Beel felt like himself. His eyes swept over his handiwork. What was left on the table was barely recognizable as human and looked more like a grotesque abstract art piece. Beel smiled and then nodded. He could let Satan have the last strike.

Satan squeezed once before letting go of Beel. He took the last few steps to the table, his tail whipping back and forth. Satan made no grand declaration, he just calmly reached over and wrapped his hand around what remained of Alexander’s neck. With one clean move, he snapped it. Satan closed his eyes and seemed to savour the moment.

When he reopened them, he turned to Beel and said. “Thank you for dealing the mercy blow after I was done my turn.”

How long had Satan been here, that he gave voice to the lie that Belphie had concocted? Had Satan witnessed the whole thing and stood by and done nothing?

“Belphie and I will get rid of the remains, you should go get cleaned up,” Satan stated.

An hour ago, Beel might have bristled at the implied order, but Beel looked down at his hands and the dried blood that was already cracking on his skin. He nodded.

“I will let the others know it is done, though Mammon will have felt his passing,” Satan added.

“There will be words about hiding this from us,” Belphie said to Satan. His eyes were fierce as he glared at Satan. Agreeing to protect Beel was not enough to make Belphie forget the insult of their exclusion. The Avatar of Sloth calmed himself and looked softly at his twin. “But Beel, go. We can have those words in a time and place where she can’t overhear them, and all responsible are included.”

“Now, would not be a good time,” Satan agreed. “The potions I gave her should be wearing off soon, and she does not need to see us fighting.”

Beel nodded. Without the rage to sustain him, he was truly tired. There would be words, and actions as a consequence of the deception, but Belphie was right. Now was not the time. Beel left his brother’s to tend to the remains and slowly made his way up to his room where a shower and his bed awaited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was hard. Especially once Beel finally told me why he doesn't want to touch Grace. Topic plus a summer cold made this a tough one to get through. 
> 
> Grace is so happy to get to wake up. She has not been impressed at being drugged this long. 
> 
> Thank you for your patience, your kind words and for sticking around.


	69. The Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace wakes up nestled between three demons and has to face the emotions brought to the forefront by the day before.

It took Grace a long time to wake up. The sleeping potion that Satan had provided had been strong indeed. Before conscious thought started to intrude, she rested peacefully. Grace felt warm and safe, cocooned comfortably between people that cared for her. Unfortunately, that only lasted until her brain started to turn back on.

First, she became aware of a ringing in her ears. It wasn’t loud, but it was consistent and uncomfortable. Next came the headache. It felt like there were shards of glass embedded in the soft flesh of her brain. Grace tried to raise her arm to cradle her head, but her body felt heavy and bruised. It wouldn’t respond right away and she started to panic a little. The change in her breathing did not go unnoticed by those around her.

The arm at her waist tightened slightly, and Mammon leaned closer. His breath was soft on her shoulder as he whispered. “You awake, darlin’?”

The hand resting in Levi’s was squeezed gently, and he called her name quietly.

Grace struggled to make her limbs work and fought to open her eyes. Even the dim light in the room, was uncomfortable to bear, so shut them again immediately. So very slowly, she managed to bring her free arm up. Grace curled it protectively over her head, making an almost inaudible pained noise.

Almost inaudible, but not quiet enough to avoid attention. A third voice asked, “Can you tell us where you hurt?” It was Asmo and it came from above her head.

Suddenly, Grace remembered the events of the night before. The emotional and mystical breakdown. Sitting in the garden and laying her shame bare in front of not just Asmo but all of his family. Feeling so scared and vulnerable that she had invited four demons to share her bed, and now it seemed that three of them had taken her up on that offer. 

Different conflicting emotions started to pull at her. Shame for the loss of control. Fear that it was going to happen again. Guilt for not being strong enough to choose between them. Worried that her weakness was going to make everything worse. She wanted to slide further into the blankets and hide under the pillows. How was she going to open her eyes and face the day? Face them?

Words were being spoken, but Grace didn’t hear them. She focussed instead on Asmo’s voice in her memory, and the way he walked her through the chaos last night. So, she once more followed his advice and first focussed on trying to regain control of her body.

She tackled the morning one breath at a time until her chest no longer felt like it was going to explode. Once that was accomplished, she squeezed Levi’s hand back and slowly opened her eyes. The light was still uncomfortable, but Grace knew she couldn’t hide in the darkness forever. Grace could feel the weight of their eyes on her, waiting for her to say something. 

She cleared her throat, it felt dry and brittle. There was still a bitter aftertaste from the potions Satan had asked her to drink. “Morning,” her voice was froggy.

A warm weight shifted from around one of her legs, and it took Grace a surprisingly long time to realize that it had been Levi’s tail. Her pact demon rolled onto his side so he could look her in eye. She could see his concern, and Grace felt bad that she had worried him so. His tail brought a water bottle closer, and he used the hand that wasn’t wrapped around hers to unscrew the cap. “Here,” he said as he offered it to her.

The water helped, but it also reminded her bladder that there was something she needed to do. “Mammon, I need to get up,” she said softly. His grip tightened ever so slightly before he grumbled and removed both the arm and the wing that were sheltering her.

Grace carefully shifted into a seated position and the movement made her feel a little dizzy, increasing the buzzing sound in her ears. Her body was just going to have a wait a minute or two yet, Grace wasn’t quite willing to tackle the walk to the bathroom. With a sigh, she brushed her hair off her face.

Asmo repeated his question, “Can you tell us where it hurts?”

Now that her eyes were open, she looked for him. Being cautious of every move she made, Grace turned her head and found him sprawled across the pillows at the head of the bed, a soft fuzzy blanket draped on his lower half. He looked quite regal and comfortable and it almost coaxed a laugh from her. 

“There is a ringing in my ears. The world seems too bright and my head hurts,” Grace admitted. She could see Levi frown and felt Mammon shift into a seated position as well. “But, before we deal with any of that I much more urgent matter to deal with. Levi, can you move, please?” 

Levi did as she asked, though his frown deepened slightly. Grace slid to the edge of the bed and swung her feet over it. Grace didn’t quite feel up to make the walk to the bathroom yet, but she needed to escape their combined attention. It felt overwhelming, and the uncomfortable tightening in her chest was starting to return.

Not wanting to worry them further, Grace was very careful when she stood, trying to hide how unsteady she felt. She placed each step with precision as she walked to the bathroom. Their eyes followed her, but they said nothing.

Shutting the door behind her, Grace let out the breath she was holding. She could hear their hushed voices as they talked to each other but the content was muffled by the door. She leaned against the door for a while, before finally moving to take care of her body’s needs. 

After, she stood at the sink, looking in the mirror and wondered how long she could hide before someone came to check on her. Grace glanced at the door and felt afraid. Suddenly she could not breathe. Each breath became a battle that required thought. Inhale. Exhale. She could feel the magic stirring, sluggish and sleepy, but still being pulled by her body’s flight response. She closed her eyes. Inhale. Exhale. 

Once breathing no longer required the entirety of her attention she opened her eyes again. The door was still a terrifying obstacle. What was she so afraid of? Them? That they were going to start fighting? That they would look at her differently? That they would think she was weak? What if she was weak? Too broken?

Sure, pondering each of those questions made her tremble, but no, they weren’t what made her want to stay in the relative safety of the bathroom. Grace bit her lip and stared at the doorknob, still unwilling to open it. Truth? She didn’t like the truth. What Grace really was afraid of was that it was real. The sense of safety she felt before her mind had ruined it. The tender looks of concern as they had watched over her. She was afraid of what those things meant, and if the emotions behind them were real. Grace didn’t know what to do with that if it was genuine. It was hard to remember a time where that kind of affection didn’t come with strings attached. 

Worse, what if she felt right now, under the fear, and the emotional exhaustion was real? What was it Asmo had said? _If you can’t say it. That’s okay. But you need to feel it. It’s okay to be afraid of it, but you need to acknowledge you can still feel it, in all of its forms._ Afraid was the wrong word. Facing what she felt was more terrifying than standing up against Xantara. 

She felt vulnerable. Grace didn’t know if she could survive it if… if she misplaced her trust again. Grace wrapped her arms around her body. In her mind’s eye, she could still see the barely healed wounds that her flesh wore in her inner sanctuary.

But, swallowing hard, Grace had to also admit that she could not survive this alone. There was no way she was making it out of Devildom alive without them. Each of the demons on the other side of that door, they had surpassed their signature sin in her time of need. Mammon and Levi, they had put both envy and greed aside and protected her sleep. Asmo, when she was at her most bare and had been in his arms, Grace had not felt any lust in the tender way he had held her. They were trying.

Inhale. Exhale. She took a step toward the door. Inhale. Exhale. Then another. They were trying. They were doing things, feeling things that were probably just as hard for them. Inhale. Exhale. She unwrapped her arms from around her body and reached for the door handle. Inhale. Exhale. She touched the doorknob. If they could try, she could try. Inhale. Exhale. Grace opened the door and stepped back into Asmo’s bedroom.

Levi was still sitting where she had seen him last, but Mammon was standing and Asmo had abandoned his nest of pillows and now had one of his elder brother’s arm’s twisted behind his back. There was nothing but concern on Mammon’s face as he watched Grace slowly reenter the room. Asmo gave her a smile that suggested he understood the battle she had fought and had never doubted that she would win. He let go of Mammon’s arm, and while Asmo never said the words, the smug look he gave his brother definitely screamed ‘I told you so’.

Mammon shrugged his shoulder as though Asmo’s grasp had been nothing to him, and not holding him back at all. “You okay? You were in there a while.” 

Grace nodded. “I’m feeling a little … overwhelmed. I needed-“ she paused, and changed the tense of the verb. “I need a little space.”

There was a flicker of disappointment on Mammon’s face, but he hid it quickly. “Satan’s coming to check on ya soon.”

Grace nodded once more. It was easier than words. She didn’t have the words to reassure Mammon at the moment, but as she passed him, Grace laid her hand on his shoulder. She gave him a smile and hoped that it conveyed what she couldn’t give words to. Space didn’t mean that she wanted him to go away. Overwhelmed didn’t mean that she was down for the count. She squeezed lightly before letting go and joining Levi on the bed.

Even before the bed settled, her hand reached for his. She had a smile for him too, but Grace’s message for him was more in the touch. As she slipped her fingers in between his, she hoped he heard the subtext. I wanted space, but I’m choosing to be close to you.

Touching Levi made her feel a little calmer and without thinking about it her eyes slid closed. Grace leaned into his body, resting her head on his shoulder. His tail snaked behind her, supporting her lower back. 

One of the cats crawled into her lap, and she felt even better. Grace ran the fingers of her free hand through its fur and enjoyed a moment of peace. That literally only lasted about a minute and a half before her eyes snapped back open and she looked between the demons in the room.

“If you are all here… Please tell me that you didn’t actually burn down the school.”

Mammon grinned and tilted his head. He followed this cheeky gesture with a shrug, and Grace was about to yell at him when a dry chuckle from the doorway pulled her attention. 

Satan entered the room, with a small box of supplies in his hands. “We did nothing so drastic or permanent,” Satan walked across the floor purposely and set the box on the bed next to her. “We arranged for the Nightshade Moths to accidentally get free from their cages.”

“Pretty liberal use of the word we,” Player One said, jumping up on the bed. Grace was starting to be able to tell their voices apart. “By we, he means he took a nap and me and mine did the actual work.”

“I never claimed to have completed the actual sabotage. I said we, and in this case, it means Lucifer and I, made the arrangements which is accurate.”

Grace smiled at the very serious way Satan was arguing semantics with the feline who was ignoring him and starting to wash his face. Then her mind backtracked a few steps. Nightshade Moths? They were stored in the advanced potions lab and while she had not had the chance to work with them, Grace was well aware of their properties. A single mating pair could produce up to thirty-six offspring in a four hour period, and those offspring would be fully mature six hours after hatching.

Asmo’s laugh was almost joyful. “You see…” there was a faint pause. “Grace, we will be lucky if we go back tomorrow. The dance on the weekend may need to be cancelled as well, or else it would be a far wilder affair than Lord Diavolo had planned.” He opened an armoire and pulled out a silky red robe and loosely tied it around his waist.

The moth's wings produced a fine powder that was a powerful narcotic and its precise effects varied depending on the demon’s physiology. Some were sedated, while others hallucinated, and others still found it to be an aphrodisiac. Those were only the most common effects, there was a myriad of others, which was why the moths were only trusted to be used in the advanced class. Potentially by now, there could be hundreds, possibly thousands of them in the school and that dust could be coating most surfaces. Cleaning up the building was going to be an incredible challenge. 

Still, that was not Grace’s current problem and she had more than enough of her own to deal with. Before she starting going over the list in her head, she just looked at Satan and asked, “So what’s next?”

“Next?” Satan echoed, “Now we see how you are doing. Tell me how you are feeling, and I need the truth. I can’t help if you lie to me.” He crouched in front of Grace and looked her right in the eyes.

“I understand that,” Grace acknowledged. She sat up straight and stopped leaning on Levi’s shoulder. “There is a ringing in my ears, the light is bright to my eyes and my head hurts.”

Levi squeezed her fingers but didn’t say anything.

Though Satan never touched her, he performed a serious of small diagnostic tests. He never touched her, but asked what felt like hundreds of questions while Mammon hovered watching his every move. What kind of pain? Was it sharp or dull? Satan altered the volume of his voice, trying to determine the frequency of the ringing in her ears. He asked Asmo to dim the lights in order to gauge what level of light caused her discomfort. When he was done, Satan stood up and looked thoughtfully at her.

“Am I gonna live, doc?” Grace asked, half-jokingly, provoking a frown from Mammon.

Asmo plopped onto the bed behind Grace and put his hand on her shoulder. “Not funny, sweetie.”

“Yes,” Satan answered. “As long as we can prevent a repeat of yesterday.” His face was solemn. They all heard what he wasn’t saying, that it had been a very close call last night. “I think for your sake that it’s best that we follow the same course of treatment as last night. The Blackbane root potion for the pain and the Belladonna infusion to calm you and keep you sedated.”

Well, that explained the bitter taste. Grace shook her head and winced a little. “No, not the Belladonna. It was really hard to wake up from and it made me feel trapped in my own skin.”

Satan made a dissatisfied face. “You have so little control that I don’t think that it is safe to leave you awake.”

Grace’s grip tightened on Levi’s hand and she stood her ground. “I said no.” Asmo squeezed her shoulder in support of her decision, or at least that was how she chose the interpret the touch.

“Neither Lucifer or I will be here should the worse happen. Do you want to endanger the others?” Satan asked, looking her in the eyes. “Beel, Asmo, Belphie, Mammon, none of them are capable of dealing with what you have only the most tentative control on. Would you see them hurt for your pride?”

“Enough Satan,” Mammon growled, “She said no.”

Before things could go any farther, Player Two yawned from her lap, stood and lazily stretched.” You and Lucifer were here last night and the pair of you were useless. You were of intent on your own disagreement that you missed the warning signs entirely and needed to be summoned by a text from Sex-Toy.”

Player One stood and joined his twin on Grace’s lap. “We had the situation mostly under control with a little help from him-“ The cat glanced over his shoulder at Asmo. “And we can continue to do so today. There is no need to bully her.”

Mammon roughly shouldered past Satan, “Yeah, no need ta be a fuckin’ asshole.” He sat down next to Grace, close enough that their legs were touching, and crossed his arms.

“It would be foolish of me to trust her well being to you when our arrangement has been long over,” Satan said, keeping his eyes on the one dubbed Player Two.

“Then we will just have to make an arrangement with her,” the cat replied calmly.

Player One turned smoothly in place and looked up at Grace. “We mentioned before that we had a proposition for you. We would offer to become your familiars.”

Grace blinked. It took her a moment to process that. Sure, she knew about familiars from her classes, though it was only covered briefly. A familiar was a creature that was imbued with a portion of the magic user’s own power, that could act as an extension of their will, and conduit for their magic.

She and Satan almost spoke in unison when they both asked the same question. “Why?”

Player One answered Satan. “None of your concern.”

Player Two was the one who answered Grace. “Your ability to access Celestial magic is rare and would be prestigious. And we are at least passing fond of you.”

Grace nodded. That tracked with what she knew of familiars, but she was a little wary. After hopping into a pact unaware of the finer details, she was loathe to do this without asking more questions. “How does it work? What do each of us get out of the deal and what are the drawbacks?”

Player Two continued to explain. “Drawback to you, a portion of your magical energy will always be tied up with us, which is less of a drawback at the moment because you have far more than you can safely wield. A drawback to us, our lives become tied to yours. You die, we die. The benefit to you, we can act as your eyes and ears, and you can actually cast spells through us at a distance. A benefit to us, our own natural powers and magics are amplified by what we reap from you.” 

Player One chimed in. “No one will actually suspect anything, since we’ve been lurking in your presence for weeks already anyway and we can even help teach you the basics.”

Grace mulled it over and looked up at Satan. “They leave anything out?”

“Excuse me,” Player One protested. “That’s insulting.”

Player Two snorted, “We wouldn’t be fond of her if she was an idiot. It had to be asked.”

Satan looked contemplative. “No, they did explain it rather succinctly. You are aware that their tie to you would be in its own way as intimate as your tie to Levi. While they would not be tied to your soul, you would be irrevocably linked to them through your tie to the Celestial magic. The only way to cut your tie to a familiar would be to sever your connection to the magic entirely.”

Grace bit her lip. It was a big decision, and she was tired of big decisions. “Do any of you have advice or an opinion to offer?” she as led of the demons surrounding her. 

Satan was the first to answer her. “Logically it makes sense, and I would feel better about leaving you here while I am gone with them to act as a buffer. Still-“ he paused made a sound that was a cross between a sigh and a chuckle. “They are cats, and I’m sure their motives are not as clear cut as they seem.”

Levi spoke for the first time since she left the bathroom. “They extend your effective range, teach you first-tier magics, and offer some defence against magic blowback. Stat wise this seems like the right call.” The words were all positive, but there was a hesitancy in his voice. “But, I know how hard it was for you to let me inside and I’m not sure you are ready to have two more voices in there.”

“They die if she dies, right?” Mammon asked, looking at Satan to ensure that he had understood correctly what was said. When his brother nodded in agreement, “Then they will have to do their very best to keep her alive and well.” When Mammon looked down into Grace’s eyes, he made no attempt to hide his worry or his fear. “They would be another line of defence, and one no one would suspect you of having. It might be the hard choice but it could be the right one.”

Asmo slid his hand along her shoulder and down her arm, and Grace turned to look at him. “My advice. Listen to what your gut is telling you. If it feels wrong, or like an invasion, the perks don’t matter.”

Grace nodded, again regretting it. “Okay, I want to talk to them, alone. Can you give me the room?” She could feel their hesitancy and added, “Please?”

Despite it being Asmo’s room, and he should have the most reason to protest, he was the first to move. He gave her a smile full of confidence, as he slid off the bed and made his way to the door. 

Satan was the next to move. “We will just be on the other side of the door.”

Mammon leaned down and kissed the top of her head, but spoke no words. He lingered a moment, his eye closed and his head nearly resting on hers before he too left the room.

Levi squeezed her hand again. “It’s your call and I’ve got your back either way.” He hesitated before standing. Levi looked like he was trying to put into words what he was feeling. He gave a frustrated sigh and uncurled his tail from where it was supporting her waist.

Grace tried to figure out how to bridge the gap. To find the words he was struggling to find. “Are you okay?” she asked softly.

“No, I’m not okay,” Levi admitted, there was frustration in his voice, and he winced as he heard it. “When you needed me, you didn’t call. You are sitting here broken, and you didn’t call. I don’t want to let you out of my sight, because I’m afraid of what will happen if I do. Because I'm afraid that you won't call me next time either.”

Okay, that was hard to hear. She closed her eyes and tried to sort out what she was feeling before she gave him an answer. Guilt. Anger. Frustration. Sadness. The guilt she understood, Grace felt like she had let him down. Sadness, that her choice had hurt him? That felt right. Frustration? Grace had to probe that one a little to understand that it was coming from the fact that they needed to have this conversation now.

She must have been silent for a while because Levi called her name softly.

“Still feeling overwhelmed Levi,” Grace explained. “I’m trying to work through my feelings and not let them pile in a ball that might literally result in me setting something on fire.” Inhale. Exhale. “You deserve a real answer and I’m trying to find the words for it.”

Why was she feeling angry? Who was she angry at? A few quiet minutes of breathing and Grace decided that the answer was both. She was angry at him for being hurt and frustrated because she was tired and didn’t feel like dealing with it right now. Grace admitted that she was angry with herself because he was right. She should have called, but she didn’t and not for the reason she said. It wasn’t to protect him, it was because, at that moment when everything happened, it had simply never occurred to her to reach for help at all.

Words. Now to try to put that in words. Grace opened her eyes and turned to look at him. She held his gaze when she spoke, and hoped he would listen. “I was wrong and I lied. I lied when I said I didn’t call you because I wanted to protect you.” As she spoke the words, Grace hoped that he wouldn’t pull away and he would hear it all. “When the-“ Grace paused searching for a word to describe what happened when the magic broke free. “Barrier, when the barrier broke I was lost. I was lost in the darkest place, the place without light. A place without hope.” Tears started to flow, and she wiped at her face but continued talking. “You are right. I needed help, but I didn’t even think to ask, and that’s not because it was you!” Grace countered his protest before he could give voice to it. “I felt alone and that I deserved to stay that way.” Her chest hurt as she forced those words out.

Levi’s answered with actions, not words. He hugged her. It was not a gentle embrace, but a fierce one. 

Grace continued to talk, her voice muffled by his body. “When I started thinking again, I still didn’t call you. I didn’t want anyone to see me that vulnerable and that out of control.” She paused, and it took her time to gather the words she needed next. “That wasn’t fair of me. You have shown me your vulnerable sides. You let me sleep in your room while you were healing and weakened, sleeping in the water. You have shared your own doubts and struggles with me. How you fight that feeling that you aren’t good enough every day. I should have called you. I should have trusted you. We could have handled this together.”

One of his hands made its way to her head, and he started stroking her hair. “I don’t always win the fight either,” Levi admitted after several minutes. The was a long silence after those words, while she stopped her tears and he just continued to run her fingers along her hair. When he spoke next, his voice was a little lighter. “So how do I remind you, that you are no longer playing solo, and this is a co-op game?”

“I think that if it had been a physical threat, I would have summoned you,” Grace answered, honestly.

Levi pulled her a little tighter against him. “That’s not good enough. You and I know that the worst threats aren’t the physical ones. There are demons that can manipulate emotions and-“ Levi paused, but Grace heard clearly the word that would have gone there. Dreams. Demons that manipulate dreams. He cleared his throat before continuing. “Those threats are as dangerous.”

“I don’t have an answer. I can’t promise I will. I can promise I will try. I can promise to work on it, but I won’t lie, right now, if it happened again, I don’t know that I wouldn’t make the same mistake,” Grace answered softly. She knew it wasn’t the answer he wanted, but it was the only one she had to give.

As Mammon had earlier, Levi kissed the top of her head. “What am I going to do with you?”

Player One spoke up, “I have several suggestions…” The tone of his voice was playful and flirty.

Grace had forgotten all about the pair of them, and the conversation she needed to have with the felines.

“You could give us the room like she asked,” Player Two said, in a much more serious tone.

The look on Levi’s face when he pulled away made it clear that he had forgotten about them too. “Fine. I’ll be in the hallway if you need me.” He rose from the bed reluctantly, and left the room, leaving Grace alone to deal with the twin Siamese cats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long delay.
> 
> A week of it was literally me trying to get Grace out of the bathroom. That was a very pivotal and hard moment for her and I as an author. 
> 
> Otherwise, unfortunately RL has decided to be a pain. Two family members were in the hospital for unrelated reasons. The added stress triggered more than the normal migraines and negatively impacted my physical and mental health.
> 
> I'll be updating the summaries to show that there may be a longer time between updates, because I'm still in the midst of dealing with RL stuff, and we are dealing in general with more boys in a chapter or scene and more emotional subjects.
> 
> If you are still with us after the long break, I'm happy you are still here and haven't lost faith in me. 
> 
> Oh, and at the end of the next chapter I'll have a link to the art I commissioned of our lovely Grace.


	70. A Display of Brotherly Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Grace discusses things with the cats, the brothers have matters of their own to discuss.

Satan was frowning as he exited Asmo’s bedroom, his mind pondering the offer made by the cats. It was not something he had expected, but it did explain why they had stuck around once his own compact with them was finished. He was pondering their potential motives when Asmo’s chuckle drew his attention.

“I take it from your frown that that was not part of one of your plans?” Asmo asked, leaning casually against the wall.

“No,” Satan answered curtly. “That was not one of my plans.”

“But, they were working on your behalf earlier?” Asmo questioned, his tone implying that he already knew the answer, but would like it confirmed anyway.

“From Beel I’d known about her ancestry and was concerned that she might pull a disappearing act again. Cats can see what is hidden. I made a practical choice. Those twin felines are linked. One would watch over her and the other would be able to keep me informed.”

“And they say I’m the pervert,” Asmo grinned. “What stories did they tell you?”

Satan almost growled. “Not like that. It was only a safeguard in case something like last night was to happen, but I never imagined-“ He shook his head. No. There was no way he could have imagined the sheer amount of raw celestial energy that Grace would have at her disposal. “We are all fortunate that they chose to remain or else-“ He stopped mid-sentence, refusing to give voice to some of the worst-case scenarios.

The door opened behind him, and Satan started to turn to address Mammon. It was too late for him to dodge when he realized that his brother was leading with his fist. Satan’s head snapped to the side at the force of the blow and his teeth rattled. Mammon only got the one free shot in though, and Satan was able to dodge the follow-up blow.

“Did ya have ta kill him?” Mammon demanded, his voice a low growl. “If I’d wanted it over quickly I would have finished him off up there!”

Satan caught the next fist thrown, and held it firmly mid-swing. Of course, Mammon would have felt when the human died. This was one more thing that Satan did not have time to deal with today. “I didn’t,” Satan lied. “Beel did.”

It was a lie he could live with, and he took advantage of Mammon’s momentary confusion to twist the fist held in his grasp and use the momentum to slam Mammon into the wall. “We miscalculated. Belphie caught wind of the passed out human. When he and Beel decided to investigate, they found me, hands deep in the human’s internal organs.”

That was the story he and Belphie agreed on while they disposed of the remains. Satan had heard the pain in Beel’s voice when he talked about Grace not loving him back. Satan wasn’t going to let Beel justified vengeance be another road bock in fixing that. He could take the heat, and let Beel have the role of mercy killer.

“Beel put the bastard out of his misery. Take it up with him, because I didn’t even get started on the list of things I would have done to him.” The last part was true.

“Grace would hate that he was here,” Beel said, having exited the room he shared with his twin. Belphie was only a couple steps behind him. Both cleaned and redressed from the early morning bloody activities. Obviously, Belphie made sure Beel was on the same page. “And even more, she should hate what we wanted to do to him. It’s better that is over now before she catches wind of it.”

“He’s dead?” Levi asked, closing the door to Asmo’s room behind him. “You killed him?” Levi’s voice was quiet and dangerous.

Satan released his hold on Mammon, ready to intervene if necessary, but Asmo was already in motion.

“While the soundproofing on my bedroom is the best in all three realms, this is not the time and place for this discussion.” Asmo’s trademark playfulness was absent and he placed himself between Beel and Levi. “It took her over a half hour to work up the courage to come out of the bathroom to face us, do you really want our fighting to drive her back in there?”

Beel’s face softened with concern. “She was hiding?”

Levi looked over his shoulder at the closed door and made a frustrated sigh. “Asmo’s right,” he acknowledged reluctantly before turning his eyes back to Beel. “But this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”

“Just one more bit of unfinished business between us then,” Beel acknowledged, stepping forward nearly into Asmo, and talking over the Avatar of Lust’s head. “I’m up for settling the score whenever you are.”

Asmo elbowed Beel and gave him a disappointed look over his shoulder while shoving back against Levi who advanced at the challenge with his free hand.

Satan cleared his throat loudly. “That will need to be later, much later. I need Levi to come up to with me to the mortal realm.”

Now Levi turned his glowing eyes on Satan, his tail thrashing. “Excuse me? You saw her! You just recommended leaving her sedated and helpless! There is no way I’m leaving her side today. There is absolutely nothing you can say that would make me.”

Satan narrowly avoided changing states in response to Levi’s obvious aggression. He could understand the statement. Satan himself had no desire to do anything than stay here and take care of their human. She needed help with the magic matters and he was the best qualified to provide it, but he had no choice. And Levi was wrong, Satan knew exactly what to say to make his brother comply. “We have to find Dylan. He may be in danger.”

Satan felt the combined weight of all his brothers’ eyes on him. Time to get them on the same page. This was not the time or place to do it but he had no choice. If matters continued on the course they were on, Grace would find them brawling in the hallway. “Beel, the door.”

Beel heeded his command, and leaned against the door, ensuring that Grace could not open it and surprise them. Satan hoped her discussion with the chats was going to be long enough that she never had an opportunity to try the door before they were done.

“Some of you know this, but not all of you. Of the twenty candidates of the program, all were of angelic descent, and since the program has begun fifteen of those twenty have died.” He paused and then reiterated. “Fifteen deaths in four months. All after they had experienced something that revealed their angelic nature.” Satan met the eyes of each of his brothers in turn. “That cannot be a coincidence, and if whoever is responsible knew about Grace, then there is a chance they know about her son.” He saved Levi for last, there was no room for argument here. Levi was the only one who had the skill set that might save the child’s life if they weren’t already too late. “You will come up with me and we will locate her child. This order comes not from me, but from Lucifer.”

Levi hissed, and then closed his eyes. “She needs me,” he stated.

Satan could feel the weight of Levi’s emotions behind those words, but he couldn’t let himself be swayed by them. “You are the best hope for that child, the one most suited to this task. There are four others who can watch over her in our absence.”

Levi lashed out at him with his tail, and Satan jumped to evade it. “It’s not good enough. One had failed her already and another was the one that actually tried to kill her!” Levi clenched his fists in frustration and did not follow up on his attack.

It was Asmo that spoke, “Beel will not fail her again, and if you don’t trust Mammon and me to handle Belphie-“ The look on his face made it clear that he had no doubt he could best Belphie himself even without Mammon’s help. “Then take him with you.”

Satan opened his mouth to protest. That was not a good idea. Belphie should not be leaving the house, let alone travelling to the mortal realm full of humans he had hated for centuries. But before he had a chance, Belphie stepped toward Levi. Satan prepared himself to try to stop him, but Belphie spoke first.

“Levi, I can’t take it back, and she won’t even let me try to fix it. But I swear, I swear on Lilith that I mean her no further harm, and that I would put myself in the way of any harm intended for her. Go, find her son and bring him home to her.”

Everyone held their breath, from Beel blocking the door to Asmo looking between his brothers with a concerned expression. They waited for Levi to react. Though it was only seconds, it seemed like minutes passed before Levi slowly uncurled his fingers from the tight fists.

He flexed them and looked up at Belphie. There was still doubt in his eyes. “It is almost not enough,” Levi whispered. “I know what that oath means, and how binding it is, but it is still almost not enough.”

“But it is enough, isn’t it?” Satan asked, carefully keeping his worry from his voice.

Levi nodded and then turned to Mammon who had been quietly observing the conversation. Satan could see that his white-haired brother was still angry at the early loss of his human prize, but was putting it on the back burner for the sake of the current situation. Mammon arched an eyebrow at Levi and challenged him, “What? Ya got a problem with how I take care of Grace, too?”

“Yes, yes I do,” Levi answered. He was calmer now, and it showed in his body language. Calmer, but no less ready to fight. “Before I leave this house, you need to swear an oath as well.”

Mammon looked insulted. “I don’t have to give you anything. She trusts me. She asked for me. That should be enough.”

“Swear to me on Lilith that you will not press her for a pact today,” Levi demanded.

With all the other things that Satan had been worrying about, that was a thought that had not crossed his mind. Mammon would likely be shook and worried, and Levi was right. None of his siblings were blind to the fact that they might have lost her last night. Fear of that loss could indeed motivate Mammon to make that move.

“No one is going to ask her for that today,” Asmo declared fiercely.

“Ain’t none of your business, Asmo. Besides dressing her like a doll, you two barely have had anything ta do with each other until last night. Mind yer business,” Mammon said dismissively, not taking his attention off of Levi.

Asmo movement was missed by both Levi and Mammon, they were so intent on staring each other down. Satan saw it, but even as he thought to intervene, Asmo gave him a look. His eyes were determined and focused in a way Satan had not seen in a long time. He’d seen a ghost of that fire the night the Avatar of Lust had chosen to go after the demons that had threatened grace with violence. That had been but a shadow of what Satan saw now.

Asmo wrapped his delicate hands, hands so used to making love, but yet were equally experienced in causing all manner of pain around the horns of his brothers. Mammon in his left and Levi in his right. He twisted them cruelly.

“Yes, before last night,” he agreed. Asmo’s voice was almost deceptively pleasant. “Last night, when I found her alone and broken in the garden. Where were you two then?”

Mammon averted his eyes, knowing that he had been so intent on taking out revenge on the human for the pain of her past, he had almost missed the crisis the pain in her present had caused. Levi tried to hang his head, but Asmo’s firm grip prevented it. Satan knew that Levi felt guilty for listening and leaving when she asked. His brother had probably played out all the what-ifs, wondering if he could have stopped it if he had stayed.

“I don’t care if you have a pact with her,” Asmo said to Levi, tugging twisting the horn in his hand. Mammon got the same treatment, when Asmo turned his eyes and attention to him and continued. “Or that you think you deserve one. We pulled her back from the edge once, and I don’t know if we can do it again. So if either of you idiots does one more petty, selfish thing that hurts her I will show you what the dungeon looks like from the other side of the bars.”

Asmo let them go, the force of it sent Levi staggering back a step, and likely if the wall hadn’t been there Mammon would have done the same. “Levi, go. Find her boy and bring him home. I will make sure she summons you if she needs you, but according to Satan, she will probably be resting most of the day. Mammon, not one word about a pact. I know you want to protect her, but she isn’t going to be leaving our sight today and you can protect her just fine without one. Let her make the decision about that when she doesn’t already feel battered from all sides.”

Having said his piece, Satan watched as Asmo’s smile returned to its bright sunny default. As though he had been giving his siblings advice on skincare not verbally flaying them. “Smiles now, we don’t want out princess to think something is amiss.” He frowned and shook his head. “Right, and no pet names. That is going to take some getting used to.” He motioned Beel away from the door and went back to leaning casually against the wall as though there had not almost been no less than three physical altercations in the last few minutes.

Satan felt oddly reassured by seeing Asmo take charge of the situation. The other three staying behind were all too close to the Grace and dealing with their own complex emotions when it came to their human. But, Satan supposed he should have been able to see this coming. In the past few days, Asmo had been taking a more proactive role in taking care of all of his family. Kind words where needed, and harsh ones when the kind ones were not enough.

Any further thoughts on the matter were hastily pushed to the side as the door opened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, still around, still writing. Thank you for still reading.


	71. Getting Settled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The brothers need to get Grace settled for the day. A job that is easier said than done.

Levi’s head snapped around when he heard the door open. He put what he hoped was a worried expression on his face. Asmo was right, the issues he had with his brothers were not her fault, and she shouldn’t feel bad about it. It was not her fault that Beel killed the human before Levi had his chance to vent his emotions on its flesh. It was not her fault that Levi was worried that Mammon would do something stupid and take advantage of her emotional vulnerability. And Grace was most certainly not to blame for Lucifer and Satan ordering him to the mortal realm when his place was here.

Grace leaned in the door frame, as though the walk from the bed had already exhausted her. There was a pillow tucked under one of her arms, and blanket draped over the other. There was a new bandage on her hand, not the one from the cuts on her hands from the night before. This one was crisp and bright, and taped between the thumb and index finger on her left hand.

She looked up and down the hallway at all the demons waiting there. Her smile faltered a little when she saw it was everyone except for Lucifer, but she covered it quickly with the bright smile that was her default. They were all very familiar with that smile, and what it meant. That was the one she wore when she wanted to keep people from worrying. Too bad for her, that Levi and his brothers were far past the point of mere worry at the moment.

“You accepted their offer?” Satan asked.

She nodded wearily. “I weighed the options, and decided it was for the best.”

“Was there ever a doubt? We are an excellent deal,” One of the cats said as they emerged from the room behind her. They circled her legs rubbing against Grace. The smug tone in the feline’s voice made him almost regret urging her to take them up on the arrangement. As though they felt his attention, one of them looked up and winked. Given his already foul mood, Levi struggled not to snap his teeth at it.

“So Satan, since they can help keep me contained, and I promise to rest, no sedation?” Grace asked, looking at the blond demon.

“I still stand by my assertion that it would be better for your mind to be as close to shut down for you to heal from last night, with them to buffer you and limit your access to the magic… I will respect your wishes,” Satan answered. “You will still take the Blackbane potion for the pain?”

Grace nodded a little more energetically and winced. “You will get no argument from me on that one.”

“Then it’s settled,” Mammon said from behind Levi’s shoulder. “Let’s get some food in ya and back into bed ya go.”

She shook her head, a much more sedate motion than the one that had sparked the pain. “No, not bed.”

“Are you complaining about my bed?” Asmo said teasingly. “It has had nothing but positive reviews in the past.”

It would have been easy for Levi to have thought he had imagined the forceful threat of imprisonment Asmo had delivered mere minutes ago, given how he was now back to his usual behaviour. His aching horn wouldn’t let him forget though.

“I promised I’d rest, but I didn’t say it would be in your bed,” Grace replied, her smile softening into a more easy one “Or mine for that matter. If people are going to be checking on me constantly, which let's face it, that’s what’s going to happen, I don’t want to be woken every three minutes by the door. I’ll take the couch in the home theatre and you can leave the sliding doors open.” She lifted the arm that the blanket was draped on. “But if its any consolation Asmo, I’ll still probably smell like you when I wake up.” There was a touch of the normal playfulness in her voice, but it was coloured by the exhaustion.

Mammon snorted at that. Levi was pretty sure that Asmo’s blanket was going to go missing the second Grace was actually asleep. Not that he didn’t understand the feeling, though Levi considered a more subtle approach. He could offer to lend her his jacket while he was gone. Gone… shit… he still had to tell her he had to leave for the day. He was about to panic about that when Asmo opened his mouth and temporarily drove the dilemma from Levi’s mind.

“There is a much quicker and more efficient way to smell like me dar- I mean, Grace.” His smooth delivery was hampered by cutting off a pet name before if could emerge fully formed.

Belphie punched Asmo’s shoulder, Mammon growled and Satan said Asmodeus’ name in a chastising fashion. The deadly look in Beel’s eye needed no verbal translation.

“Perverts!” Asmo protested with an innocence that didn’t suit him in the slightest. “One and all, you have filthy minds! I was suggesting a nice, warm bath, scented with my favourite oil.” He grinned at Grace and gave her a wink. “Not that the other way isn’t an option, but I don’t think you are up for it at the moment.”

Grace laughed and then answered. “I don’t think I’m up for the bath either cause I might fall asleep and drown.”

Asmo opened his mouth, but Belphie reached over and wrapped a hand around it before his brother could offer to join her and make sure that didn’t happen. “How about you help me and Beel make something to eat, hey Asmo?”

Beel nodded, and the three of them left, heading for the kitchen. Asmo, still unwilling, was literally being dragged away and complaining about this was going to do to his manicure.

Grace gave a tired chuckle and watched them go, and once they were out of sight turned her attention back to the three remaining demons in the hallway. Her relief at their diminished numbers was obvious, at least to Levi. “Satan, before you go, would you mind getting a book from the library for me?”

“No,” Satan replied, denying her request. “You are going to be resting, and your vision is giving you problems.”

Grace frowned and straightened her posture. “One, I didn’t say I needed it this second, but I want the book at hand when I can read it. I want to look at Perexis’ Guide to Minor Spells. It might be better if I learned a harmless spell that I could channel energy into instead of my defaults being disappearing, burning things or drowning things. Two, I was trying to be subtle and get you to leave so I could have a moment with Mammon and Levi.”

“The second reason would have been enough, if you had but asked,” Satan said with a sigh. “But I will humour your request and get the volume you seek if you promise not to try to read it until your sight is fully restored.”

“Thank you, Satan,” Grace answered. “If I get impatient, I’ll just as one of the others to read it to me.”

“I’ll do that for ya,” Mammon offered. “But only after you rest some more.”

Satan scoffed and looked that his older brother. “And who is going to help you with the big words?”

Grace threw the pillow that had been tucked under her arm at Satan, with surprising force. Levi chuckled at the shocked and slightly insulted expression on Satan’s face. “You are getting off easy. I threatened fiery punishment to the next person that implied Mammon was stupid,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

“That’s right you did.” Satan shook his head and chuckled. “Fine, I will go get the volume you seek.” He picked up the pillow from the ground and shoved it at Mammon. “I will check in on you before we leave for the Mortal realm and make sure you are settled.”

It took Grace a second to register that Satan had used the word ‘we’. She looked between Mammon and Levi. “Who else is going?”

Mammon looked at Levi out of the corner of his eye and swiftly realized that he might not want to be a part of this conversation. Approaching Grace, he carefully took the blanket from her. “I think I’m gonna get that couch ready,” he stated. “You good ta help her down those stairs, Levi?” Mammon didn’t wait for an answer and started down the hallway.

Grace watched him go and then turned her eyes back to Levi. She was already frowning. “So, you are going with Satan? Is that why you haven’t said a word since I opened the door?”

He hadn’t? Levi thought back and realized that she was right and he hadn’t. “Guess you aren’t the only one feeling overwhelmed.”

Levi stepped closer to Grace and offered her his arm. She accepted it, and they started walking down the hallway. Her steps were still wobbly, and when she did look at him her eyes were still a little unfocussed. “Satan needs my help with something really important,” he said after a few steps. The cats trailed a little ways behind them, giving Levi and Grace the illusion of privacy.

“It must be,” Grace replied in a quiet voice. “Not that long ago you didn’t want to leave me alone in a room.”

“I still don’t want to go!” Levi protested, and it was true. It really was the last thing he wanted to do. Right now, he didn’t trust anyone other than himself to take care of her. Especially, when he couldn’t trust her to summon him if she needed him. “I have to go.” He emphasized the changed verb. This wasn’t a choice.

Grace sighed looked away from him. He could feel a change in her energy and reached with his free hand to tilt her face so he could see her eyes. “Don’t do that. Tell me what you are thinking.”

“I’m thinking that it shouldn’t hurt that you are going. I’m trying to tell myself that you having to go now, doesn’t make what you said in Asmo’s room a lie.” Grace closed her eyes and took a couple breaths before she continued. “I feel like I’m being childish and selfish that I wanted you to stay when you have something important to do.”

Levi could feel that there was more that she wasn’t saying but this was more than she usually admitted to. This was progress. Levi stopped at the stairs and sat down on the top one. He held her hand to steady her while Grace joined him.

“I like that you want me to stay and I’m sorry that me going is making you doubt anything or causes you pain.” Levi looked at her and hoped his eyes orange eyes could convince her of his sincerity. “I really wouldn’t go, but I have to. Not because Satan asked me to, and not because Lucifer ordered it. I really am the only one of my brothers who can do what needs to be done and what I have to do is really important.”

“What are you going up there to do?” Grace asked. “This job only you can do?”

Levi felt a moment of panic and froze. She deserved to know. She had a right to know, but right now, could she literally handle it?

Grace frowned when he didn’t answer immediately. “Is it a secret? Something I’m not supposed to know?” She closed her eyes, and her features clouded over with pain. As she brought her hands up to her head, Levi felt her energy change again. It was not a subtle change like before. No, he could almost see the power swirl around her, and its invisible presence moved her hair. “I thought we were done with secrets! Or is that a rule that only applies to me?!”

“No, it’s not a secret!” Levi protested. He wanted to reach for her hand, but her fingers were tangled in her hair. Instead, he laid it on her leg. “It’s complicated.”

Everything he thought of to say was likely to make it this worse. When he was upset, someone telling him to calm down would just make him more irritated. And if he told her to try to control herself, she might just take it as an insult and her control might degrade further. Oh, and the truth? That might drive her right back over that edge Asmo was talking about.

A cat slid under Levi’s arm and crawled into her lap. It head butted her chest a couple of times to get her attention, and Grace brought one hand down, burying it in the feline’s soft fur. A dozen slow breaths later, Grace brought her other hand down and laid it on top of his.

The power was still there, Levi could almost feel it was a tingle along his skin where his hand touched hers, but it was no longer building. “This is a co-op game, right Levi? We can’t win the game if you keep me in the dark.”

Damn it. When she put it like that, turning his own words against him, Levi couldn’t not tell her. He looked down at the cat in Grace’s lap. He hoped that the felines could deliver on what they promised because this could go very badly.

The cat met and held Levi’s eyes and then pointedly looked down the hallway. Levi followed the cat’s gaze and saw Satan in the hallway. Shit, if Satan saw her lose control now, there was no way he was going to leave her conscious when they went topside.

Levi looked at Grace. No, she deserved to know the truth, and any lie at this point could undo that progress they had made. She was his H3NR1. It would be hard for her to hear, but he had faith she could handle it.

“I’m going up there to find Dylan,” Levi said softly.

Her eyes flew open, and in their twilight depths, he saw many emotions. Excitement. Worry. Fear. “Why? Don’t involve him in this! He’s got new parents and I- I - I don’t have the right to see him.” Her hand started shaking on top of his and he covered it with his free one, squeezing it gently. “I’m not ready to see him.”

“Shhh…” Levi made a soothing sound. “You don’t have to see him. Not until you are ready. Not until you want to.” Levi felt a tiny flare in response to that last statement, but either she or the cat contained it. The next part would truly test her. “Mammon found out that many of the other applicants have died since the program began, and we are worried about Dylan’s safety.” Levi continued to talk, laying out the numbers Satan had provided. Even before he could finish, Grace put the pieces together and did not like what she saw.

“You think he might already be dead?!!” Her voice wasn’t loud, but it did resonate. Grace’s eyes almost seemed to glow, the purple tone overwhelming the blue. She let go of his hand and pushed the cat from her lap. Grace started to rise to her feet. “Let’s go.”

“You aren’t going anywhere,” Levi said, gently.

“Like hell, I’m not!” Grace argued. “You just told me, my son-“ her voice trembled on that word but she kept going. “That he might be in danger, or already dead. I’m coming with you.”

“No,” Levi said firmly. Watching how unsteady she was, he wished the top of the stairs had not been where he had picked to have this conversation. He watched her balance carefully and was ready to snag her with his tail if needed. “You are going to rest at this checkpoint until your HP is back at full and the blind effect has been cured.”

“No?!” Grace’s voice was angry now. “You don’t have a right to tell me no. In fact, you literally can’t tell me no!”

For a split second, Levi panicked at that thought, and then the tactical part of his brain kicked in. The part that for years only got a work out on certain video games or the rare times he played chess with Lucifer or Satan. A part that was seeing the light of day more often since Grace joined their world.

“You aren’t going to compel me,” Levi stated with complete confidence. His body language changed slightly to match his demeanour. He stood taller and put the video game language away.

“I can,” she argued.

“You are capable, but you won’t. I know you will do the right thing. I know you are angry and scared. You have every right to be. But even this upset you know that compelling me is only going to knock you on your ass and leave me stuck here. Then the one person most capable of finding Dylan would be stuck here and you don’t want that.”

“Fuck,” she swore. Glass cracked in the picture frames along the walls. “You are right. All this power and I’m still powerless to do anything but be a fucking burden.” She screwed her eyes shut and growled in frustration. Both cats rubbed against her legs, while she tried to bring her feelings and the magic responding to those emotions under control.

“By its nature, all power is a double edged sword.” His voice was quiet and bore the weight of the decisions he had made as Grand Admiral.

Levi waited, and let her fight her inner battle. Grace managed to pull it back, and he could see from the deepening of the lines on her face that it was not easy or painless. Eventually, her hair stilled and she opened her eyes. Now that her battle was won, Levi reached for her face. He tilted her chin until she was looking right into his eyes. “You are not a burden. You have never been a burden. What you just did? That was hard and it was amazing. Definitely a platinum achievement.” He couldn’t help but throw that last bit in there, and he was glad that he had because it made her smile.

“Find him Levi,” She said, tears filling her eyes.

“I will,” he promised. That much was safe to promise. He knew he could find the child’s location. Levi wished he could promise her more. He wished that he could promise her that he would find her son alive and well. “But, before I do, I need to see you settled for the day.”

Without warning, Levi swept Grace up into his arms. She protested, of course, she protested, but Levi ignored her and carried Grace down the stairs. “You were wobbly before and the pain is worse now, right?”

She sighed in defeat and did not struggle in his arms. “I could have walked down the stairs.”

“If he hadn’t done it, I would have,” Satan said following behind them a few stairs distant.

“Shit,” Grace swore. “How much of that did you see?” She closed her eyes and laid her head against Levi’s chest.

“Enough to feel less worried about leaving you behind,” Satan answered.

Levi looked over his shoulder at his brother and could see the same pride he was feeling reflected in Satan’s eyes. It made him smile.

“When I asked ya to help Grace down the stairs that wasn’t what I meant,” Mammon said. His voice was loud, but the look on his face was concerned. Levi was sure he had witnessed at least part of what happened.

“You are just jealous you didn’t think of it yourself,” Levi teased, turning the corner into the home theatre. He was surprised to see that Asmo’s blanket was actually on the couch. Levi was almost disappointed in Mammon.

“I was just busy thinking of all the things I get to do with Grace while yer busy with Satan,” Mammon teased back.

“By all the things, you better mean watching her sleep,” Satan commented.

“Still awake,” Grace said. “Stop talking about me like I’m not here.”

“Sorry,” Levi apologized.

“Yeah, sorry,” Mammon agreed, moving the blanket so that Levi could set Grace down on the couch.

Ah, there was a second blanket under the one that Grace had claimed from Asmo’s room. Levi carefully set her down on the couch. While Grace settled into the blankets, one of the cats jumped up and started kneading a spot near her feet.

“We should go,” Satan said.

Levi contemplated objecting and arguing that he needed to see her eat something. But, if he was honest, Levi knew that he could always find another excuse not to leave. “Satan’s right,” he agreed reluctantly.

Satan stepped forward and set the book she requested on the table next to the couch. “Rest peacefully, Grace.”

Grace nodded, her energy seemingly sapped by either the display of power on the stairs or by the emotions Levi’s revelation about Dylan stirred up. “Go, and find him.”

“We will,” Levi said.

With a heavy heart, Levi turned and left the room with Satan for the mortal realm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had forgotten to share with you the artwork I had comissoned of Grace. You can see it on my tumblr. Here is the link: https://theevilpretty1.tumblr.com/post/631739113520988160/nakita-melo-commissions-closed-nakitameloart


End file.
